Pokemon Beginnings II: Lucario's Story
by FoxMcCloud7921
Summary: A war rages on between two kingdoms in medieval times, one that could affect the entire continent and the Pokemon that live there. See the newest story of Lucario as he bands together with allies to help save those he cares about from an evil empire.
1. The Wave Guiding Hero to Be

(A/N: Alright peeps, looks like I'll be starting my second Pokemon Beginnings story quicker than expected! I bet you're a bit surprised by the title, or maybe not. No, the sequel for the first one I'll be doing _after _this one. But, to explain the story a little bit, in the movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, it's obvious that Lucario lived back in probably either what we know as the Middle Ages (1000's-1300's) or maybe perhaps around the Renaissance Era (which started in the 1400's). Either way, it was a medieval background. What I'm doing here is explaining what happened before the events of the eighth movie and while it may be fan-made, it's always a possibility these events happened. So anyway, enough talk from me. Let's begin!)

* * *

Chapter 1: The Wave-Guiding Hero to Be

Long before the modern days of large cities and buildings, there were kingdoms and castles. Long before there were highways, railroads, and cars, there were only horses, carriages and wooden ships. Before there were even explosives used in high quantities, there was only sword and shield. The year was 1397 and this story begins in the Republic of Telmaria, one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms in the region that would one day be known as Hoenn.

But this story revolves around a certain character, one who would be well known in the future. Of course, as a future hero, he was anything but one now, since he had been abandoned by his family at a very young age. As a Riolu, he had wandered the streets, hoping to find any scraps of food that hopefully that had been dropped. Unfortunately, he was causing some unwanted attention by the people but only the children did anything about it, and today had been no exception.

The children, all boys, had the poor Riolu cornered while they threw sticks and stones at him, not wanting to get too close. Before, Riolu would beg them to stop, but that would only make them laugh and continue their bullying. However, things changed when young James, thirteen year-old son of a famous Captain came into the picture. He happened to be walking down the same street when he saw the entire scene in front of him. His father had told him stories about beating up prisoners but this was ridiculous. He then ran over to them and shielded the Pokemon. "That's enough of your merciless beating!" he yelled at them. "Leave now and we'll pretend this whole thing never happened."

"Oh yeah, and how you gonna stop us?" one of the boys said.

James sighed and quickly pulled out his dagger, something he always kept with him. The mere sight of it startled the boys. ""Well, if any of you even attempted to fight me, I'd leave you bleeding on the street. And trust me, you're all just peasant boys. My father is a decorated war hero. So, what will you do now?"

Once again, the weapon was enough to have the boys scurry away. James then smiled and put his dagger away before turning back to Riolu. "Hey," he said gently, kneeling down. "You okay?" The Pokemon looked up to him, a bit of surprise on his face. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." He then reached his hand out slowly and scratched him behind the ears, causing Riolu to smile for perhaps the first time in awhile. "Tell you what," James then said. "How about you come and stay with me? You might not know it yet, but you came from a powerful race. My father would be honored to have me raise you, especially when you become a Lucario." He then kept his hand out. "So, what do you say Riolu?"

Riolu looked to James, then looked down, and looked back up again before jumping into James' arms. James laughed. "I'll take that as a yes then," he said. "Wow, to think I have my own Riolu to take care of. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be a hero like the others?" And with their new bond, so began Riolu's (and soon Lucario's) long and perilous journey.

* * *

(A/N: And roll credits! The song here is "Take Your Life" from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. I hope this story ends up being as big a hit as the last one and at least close to it in length. So, I know it's not much yet but trust me, this is probably gonna be one of my best Lucario stories out there so stay tuned!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	2. War of Attrition

(A/N: For this beginning sequence, the song used here is "Opening Movie" from Final Fantasy XII.)

* * *

Chapter 2: War of Attrition

_Five years later…_

*Who would've known the next five years would be so violent and bloody? Unfortunately, war had broken out between Telmaria and the Exar Empire, which was another powerful kingdom in the Hoenn region. In the last five years of the war alone, thousands had been killed and many provinces between the two had been affected greatly. But in these five years, Lucario and James have grown and matured and have both joined the ranks of the Telmarian army.

The Lucario race is a well-known group of Pokemon. Their use of aura has proved to be helpful to strategic advantages and this was no different. And with using aura, they could easily sneak on an enemy and kill them without even making a sound. That's what makes them dangerous.

Miles away from Telmaria, Lucario stood on the frontlines on top of a large cliff along with other Lucario with him. For right now, they were to see what direction the enemy was coming from. "Nothing yet," one of them said, who was nicknamed Ezio.

"Just how long are we gonna end up staying here?" another said, named Altair.

"We have our orders," another Lucario said, named Leon. "Besides, you want to get on Malak's bad side?"

"Oh, he thinks he's real special because his master is an admiral," said Vance, the last member of the group. "Please, if I could, I'd give him a run at his title."

"Focused are we?" Altair said to Lucario, who kept his eyes forward.

"I'm just following orders," Lucario said.

"Oh that's right, you're new to all this," Leon said. "That's alright, I was the same way at first. It takes time, but eventually you'll lighten up a little bit."

"For us, we have the easy part," Ezio said. "Locate, hunt, and kill if necessary. Easy compared to the fighting the foot soldiers have to do."

"Oh, here comes Malak, stay sharp," Vance whispered as another Lucario came towards them.

Malak was actually in terms a "shiny" Lucario, meaning he had yellow, light blue, and black fur. For this, he was seen as a leader and proved to be so. Malak then walked up to them and stopped. "I've received word that scouts will be coming to this area soon," he said. He then looked to Lucario. "I think you all know your mission."

"Track the scouts, find out any useful information and then kill them," Altair said.

"Exactly," Malak said. "Once you're done with that, I'll let Jethro know so he can start moving the troops forward." However, before he left, he took another look at Lucario. "I like your enthusiasm," he said. "Keep it up." Lucario nodded to him in thanks and soon Malak was gone.

Ezio scoffed. "Sheesh, wish I got complimented like that when I was younger," he said.

"Hold on," Leon said. "We got company, coming in from the west."

"Finally showed up huh?" Vance said. "Eight of them. A little much for a scouting unit."

"So, you wanna take this one, rookie?" Ezio asked.

"Sure," Lucario said. "But you think I can take on all of them?"

"Not by yourself," Altair said. "I'll come along, so that things don't get ugly. Now, let's go." Lucario nodded and followed him on the edge of the cliff. Altair was obviously a skilled warrior and easy to get along with, so it made the job easier. "Hold up," Altair then said quietly, putting a paw up. The scouting party was almost right below them. "We have to time this right. We can easily take out two each quickly if we make the jump, but we have to be fast for the others, for they'll either run or fight. Got all that?"

"Yeah," Lucario said.

"Okay, when I say now, make the jump." They waited in anticipation as the scouts got closer. "Steady… steady… now!" They both jumped in unison downwards and both of them instantly took out half of the group. Before the others could attack, Lucario and Altair both stabbed them quickly using Metal Claw.

"That wasn't too hard," Lucario said.

"No, but things are only just getting started," Altair said. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Okay, I told the others and they're going to inform Malak. We're all going to split up now and stay in the shadows for a little bit when the battle starts. Good luck Lucario." And with that, Lucario was now on his own. He then quickly moved forward, finding himself a spot to wait until the battle unfolded.

* * *

The air was still, but it was disturbed by the sound of marching feet. The soldiers of Telmaria and Exar came from different sides, along with Pokemon that could fight on both sides, both numbers quite equal in quantity. In the valley they were in, the two groups kept coming forward until they finally stopped, only about a hundred yards apart.

The air became still again as the two groups stared each other down, both waiting for the next command to be made. Soon, a call was made as both sides drew their swords. Suddenly, the call was made and soon both armies started charging towards another then the two clashed as swords and shields smashed against one another.

Lucario meanwhile was studying the battle from above. For him, this was not the part of the battle he wanted to be involved in. Since he was in terms an assassin, he only knew close combat so well, so perhaps if the enemy retreated, he could focus on the stragglers.

The battle raged on for another ten minutes before the tide began to turn. Despite the number of casualties on both sides, Telmaria made a push forward, perhaps catching Exar by surprise. It wasn't long before the call for retreat by Exar was made and their forces turned around.

Perhaps thinking now was the time to move, Lucario then moved out from his spot and slowly followed the retreating troops, to make sure they weren't planning a trap. As it turned out, Lucario couldn't seem to find anything suspicious as they were running down the narrow path. But despite all this, something didn't quite feel right.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this next part, the song is "Battle Theme" from Final Fantasy XI.)

* * *

"Hold it right there Lucario." _"Damn it," _Lucario thought, realizing he let his guard down. He turned around and saw at least six soldiers pointing their weapons at him, more than he could take on himself.

"You honestly think we would come into this battle without thinking your kind would be involved?" one of the soldiers said. "Think again. Least there'll be one less to worry about."

*All of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, a bluish blur came out of nowhere and easily took out two of the soldiers. Then, Lucario saw that it was Leon who came to aid him. "What, you think I'd let you have all the fun?" he said. "Come on, let's take care of these clowns."

Leon then used Aura Sphere while Lucario used Metal Claw, killing two soldiers. They were gonna give the other two a chance to run, but instead they charged forward, which led to them both getting killed as well.

"So, now what?" Lucario asked.

"Not exactly sure," Leon said. "Our masters must be somewhere up ahead, I suppose we could try meeting up with them." James and the others' masters were known as Aura Seekers, humans who could use aura like Lucario could. As such, they were sent on special missions. "Come on, let's get going."

They continued forward, keeping an eye out for any other enemy foot soldiers. "Tell me Leon," Lucario then said. "How long have you and the others been trained to fight?"

Leon smiled. "It's been a long time," he said. "We had always been trained for conflicts such as this. Unfortunately for you this all started in the middle of your training, but we've all been there. Altair, he's among the best of the best, next to Malak of course. You should definitely feel honored to be alongside all of us." Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks as his claws came back out, sensing something.

"Relax Leon, it is only us." A group of soldiers then came out of the bushes and Lucario quickly recognized one of them.

"James?" he said.

"Ah Lucario, I see you're accompanying Leon here," James said. "This works out then. We're investigating the enemy's camp, which can't be too far from here."

"I'm guessing you have an idea?" Leon asked.

"If we can flush them out of the camp, it'll work for us since calling for reinforcements will be halted," James said. "Not only that, but if we do force them to retreat more, it'll slow down their progression towards Telmaria. And I suppose the regular soldiers can clean up what we left behind."

"Alright, we better get moving then while we still have the time," Leon said.

They then made their way northwest, keeping along the pathway before them. It wasn't long before they saw smoke and once following it, they finally found the camp, although it appeared to be rather empty save a few guards. "Hmm, looks like we got here before they did," James said, looking below.

"Aw damn," Leon said. "Look." They looked down and with the guards accompanying them were two Aggron. "I hate those Pokemon so much."

"We can take care of them easily," Lucario said confidently, smiling. "We have the advantage in numbers."

"Alright, let's move out but proceed carefully," James said. They then kept moving, going down a path that would lead them straight to the camp. Luckily, the guards didn't seem to notice them as their backs faced towards them. "Might as well just ransack the place," James whispered. "Steal their supplies and what not. That way they have to turn back."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, for the last song here, this happens to be one of my favorite tracks from Final Fantasy VIII. The name of the song is "The Man With the Machine Gun.")

* * *

They crept slowly into the camp, barely making a sound. All of a sudden, as if on cue, the camp filled up as soldiers rushed out of all the tents and they quickly surrounded them.  
"Damn, they were expecting us," Leon said.

*"Guess I should've expected this," James said. "Very well, now you'll get to see what us humans are made of. Attack!"

They then launched forward, attacking at will against the soldiers before them. Normally in a situation like this, they would be outnumbered and at a disadvantage. But aura could be used as a weapon too. One of James' men used his aura to send a good number of the soldiers flying backwards, as Lucario, Leon, and the others fought man to man. The soldiers were easy, but the Aggron proved to be tougher. They had tough armor that was tough to penetrate, and only a small weak spot.

Lucario was unfortunate enough to fight one of them as it used Metal Claw to try and crush him. Lucario then used this moment to his advantage and used Close Combat, as Aggron were weak to fighting-type moves. Aggron was sent back, stunned while Lucario ran and jumped up using Metal Claw to impale Aggron right in the head, killing it instantly. It seemed to the soldiers their plan had backfired tremendously and immediately retreated from the camp.

"Well, that seemed to do the trick," Leon said.

"Indeed," James said. "Looks like this will be a victory. Let's head back now and report our success. We've earned this."

* * *

(A/N: And the chapter will end here. Sorry if this so far is kind of boring you viewers. I promise you the real good stuff is yet to come as the story progresses. Actually, you could probably expect it at least around chapter four, and after that is when the true story begins. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story and since Malak plays an important role in this story, he's being voiced by S. Scott Bullock, at least, that's my personal choice so hope you like it.)

FoxMcCLoud7921


	3. Silence Before the Storm

(A/N: For this part here, I'm going to be using the song "Concert 'Irish Jig'" from Final Fantasy VIII. I figured you would hear music a lot like this back in the Middle Ages, so it fits, or at least it should. By the way, sorry for the long wait, I just got back to school and it's kind of thrown me off.)

* * *

Chapter 4: Silence Before the Storm

*After a huge victory and a long trip back, where would a large group of soldiers go? A pub of course. The place had become quite crowded with the sudden number of soldiers coming in and as they all drank, things only got more rowdy.

Meanwhile, James and Lucario headed straight to the bar. "I'll have the usual," James said to the bartender. "And a glass of Oran juice for my friend." Once they got their drinks, James quickly took a swig but Lucario just sat there. "Okay, what's wrong?" James then asked.

"I messed up at one point today," Lucario said. "I let my guard down for one second and got ambushed. If Leon didn't come I don't know if I would've been able to take them all on."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," James said. "You know it'll take time before you're as good as Altair or Leon. You just have to be patient and accept the mistakes you may make."

"I suppose so," Lucario said.

"Hey, cheer up," James said. He then put his glass. "Here, cheers to an important victory, and to that eventually things will go back to the way they were."

Lucario smiled. "I can drink to that," he said, putting up his glass as well.  


* * *

(A/N: For this next part here, the song that will be used is "Crusaders" from Kingdom of Heaven.)

* * *

Seeing as now he had nothing important to do, Lucario decided to take a stroll around the city. Walking around, Lucario could remember entering the city when he was younger. Of course, he had to actually _sneak_ in. For all he knew, he was born in the wild, but had no recollections of his parents. Maybe his father was a warrior in his day. Hell, he wasn't even sure if they were alive now.

He then found a perch to sit on as he meditated. *He then opened his eyes to the sounds of marching feet. Some of the remaining troops were returning back from battle, along with some of the Lucario that accompanied them.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Lucario looked down to see Malak staring at the soldiers. "Those Lucario I trained myself, years ago. As always, they don't disappoint." He then looked up to Lucario. "You're wondering why I took you under my leadership, aren't you? You see, I can tell there's potential in you, that has yet to show itself."

"Coming from you, sir, that's quite honorable to say," Lucario said.

"No, just Malak," Malak replied. "There are other times for formalities. Anyway, rest up while you have the chance. This war isn't over yet." And with that, Malak then jumped onto the roof of the building Lucario was on and disappeared.

"No, it's not," Lucario replied softly. However, he had just gotten an idea for some training and got onto the roof as well to go practice his skills.

* * *

It wasn't long before Malak returned to his post, where his master was. "I see you've taken a liking to the newest recruit," Jethro said as soon as he returned.

"He shows a lot of promise," Malak replied. "No reason for me not to like him."

"Don't let your feelings of him get in the way of our plan," Jethro said. "You know what needs to be done."

Malak did not even look up as he replied, "Yes, I understand."

* * *

That night, as the celebrations continued on, James and Lucario both stood on the roof of the house they were currently living in, which had a great view of the land beyond the castle. Lucario for awhile had been studying the large forest to the east, which almost seemed to go on for miles. "James, what is that forest over there in the east?"

"Ah, you mean the Tataran forest?" James asked. "Every generation that forest seems to get bigger and bigger. Least it's not growing towards the castle thankfully. It's all full of different creatures, definitely some we try to avoid."

"So is that why we go on a different past when going east?" Lucario asked.

"Indeed," James said. "The forest and it's inhabitants are usually neutral in conflicts like this, but the second anyone crosses into their territory without permission, may Arceus have mercy on those who trespass. You can't underestimate them at all. They are powerful creatures."

"So if Exar happens to cross into their territory, they will help us defeat them?" Lucario asked.

"Not exactly," James said. "They'll drive them back and we can always help them, but they're not willing to help us or aid us in a war. Like I said, they usually are neutral."

"Hmm…" Lucario then thought. "I wonder if I could visit that forest…"

James smiled. "I don't know, even if it's just you, I do not know if they are friendly with the Lucario race." It was a good point, since they were allied with humans. Was it possible the wild creatures were against humans entirely? Almost as if James could read his mind, he then said, "Not all mystical creatures despise us. Like I've said, some either are neutral or just don't bother with our affairs. It would be more understandable if you listened from their point of view."

"Hmm…" Lucario replied. He then looked up to the night sky. "What do you think Exar is doing now?"

"Who knows?" Jame replied. "They got a nasty defeat to deal with, that I do know. But we can't underestimate them. Starting tomorrow, we'll once again have to be ready for just about anything." He then looked up as well. "It's getting late. We better turn in for the night. Who knows what we'll have to do tomorrow morning." With that, they then jumped down and went back into the house, eventually both getting sleep for tomorrow morning, which would end up being more hectic than previously thought.

* * *

(A/N: Eh, sorry everyone. I know you're all wondering why this chapter is so short. Truth is, I kind of wanted to keep the next big part of the story for the next chapter and unfortunately I couldn't think of anything to fill in between. Oh well I suppose. The next chapter will have a huge part in the storyline and will end up leading to the main part of the story, which will be easier and more fun for me to write. Yeah, this part of the story isn't exactly I don't like much. -_- So once again, sorry for the short chapter but I will try to make up for it next time!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	4. The Worst Turn of Events

(A/N: Hey everyone, once again I apologize for the long wait. School has been a thorn at my side these past weeks so not much has been able to get done. -_- But now I'm getting back to work on this.

* * *

Chapter 4: The Worst Turn of Events

The next morning, things seemed calm and normal for the most part. But despite that, all guards were on alert. You never know when an attack could take place. While this was going on, James and Lucario were training against one another since as of right now their help was not needed.

"Wow Lucario, able to handle five rounds now I see?" James said, a smile on his face. "That's a new record isn't it?"

"Say what you want," Lucario said, grinning. "I'll finally have you tapping out for the first time."

"Then give me your best shot then," James replied, taunting him. Lucario obliged, going forward hoping to catch James by surprise. However, James was ready and quickly grabbed Lucario and threw him to the ground. "See, I know you can do better than that," he then said.

Lucario just smiled and used his feet to knock James off his. Even he wasn't expecting that. Lucario decided to take advantage of the situation and then brought out his "claws" as he got up, about to attack but James rolled out of the way quickly. He wasn't worried because he knew Lucario had control of his actions.

"Don't underestimate me," Lucario said. "Besides, I have the ability to easily kill any human or creature that threatens me."

"You're right," James said as he got up. "I think that's enough for now. We may as well see if there is any Captain Jethro wants us to do before preparing for the next plan of attack."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this part here, I'm using the song "The Descending Storm" from Two Steps From Hell.)

* * *

All of a sudden, there was the sound of an explosion outside as the ground rumbled beneath them. "What was that!" James cried out. He quickly ran towards the door and opened it. *Immediately, they could hear screaming and shouting as the two of them saw the smoke, where the explosion occurred. They then saw what looked like fireballs fired from catapults raining down and destroying any structure or home it hit. "We're under attack!" James then said, running back and getting his sword and armor. "Lucario, go ahead and help and rally the troops if necessary!"

Lucario nodded and went outside, using the rooftops to move across the city. Using aura, he saw that the enemy troops were located northwest of his location. But how could they have attacked without any of the guards noticing?

Putting that thought behind him, he went northwest, fearing for the worst. Once he got to where the castle was, his fears were confirmed. Exar had struck, right into the heart of Telmaria. Suddenly, some of the soldiers saw him on the roof and raised their crossbows, shooting at him. Lucario dove out of the way, falling off the roof into the heat of the battle.

He was quickly surrounded but luckily he still had the advantage as he took them down quickly using Metal Claw. But, that only brought more attention as more soldiers came after him. With the amount of soldiers fighting one another, it couldn't be told who was winning. But, it could be said that Telmaria's defense was being pushed back. However, before anyone could do anything else, there was a large explosion, close to where Lucario and the other soldiers were located. The blast caused Lucario, as well as many others, to be slammed against the wall. Once hitting his head, Lucario was knocked out completely and fell into darkness.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this next part here, the song I'm using is "Web of Lies" from Two Steps From Hell as well.)

* * *

*Once Lucario opened his eyes, he saw he was surrounded by pieces of what had to have been one of the outer walls of the kingdom border. Shaking his head to clear it, he then got up. It looked like the battle had moved closer to the castle itself, so he had to hurry.

Unfortunately, his body still felt weak from the blow he had taken so for now he had to rely on stealth. He then moved on ahead, following the sound of swords clashing against one another. Once he got there, he then couldn't believe his eyes. Amid the battle, were James and Malak, fighting _against _each other. But why would he be doing that? He was on their side.

"How could you Malak!" James shouted as they kept fighting. "We trusted you, and looked up to you and in return you betray us!" However, Malak said nothing in return but dodged James' attacks.

Meanwhile, Lucario could only stand there. Whether it was shock, or the pain he still felt that limited his speed and mobility, there was nothing he could do. Suddenly, as if James had slightly let his guard down, Malak then thrusted forward and stabbed James right through the stomach. James' reaction was shock, as much as Lucario had, and soon crumbled to the ground as Malak pushed him off of him.

Lucario, shaking now in anger, couldn't believe it. Was this some sort of twisted joke? But no, James wasn't getting up: he was truly dead. Just like that. Lucario all of a sudden found his strength returned to him, perhaps in his anger and rage. Meanwhile, Malak was gone, as if he took the coward's way out and fled. However, Lucario made sure to follow him and make him pay. Not just for betraying his kingdom, but killing his friend as well.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this next major part, the song I'm using here is "One-Winged Angel" from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.)

* * *

He then saw Malak enter through the front of the cathedral and Lucario quickly followed, barging into the sacred area. But, Malak did not even turn to acknowledge him. "I can see why you're here," he then said. "He was your master, was he not? I have to admit though, I'm surprised you of all of them survived the attack. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be."

"What!" Lucario then said. "You killed off the others!"

"Almost all of them, but Altair fled," Malak said. "Cowardly, but for him it was probably the smart decision. However, you still stand here." He then turned to face him. "And as you are an enemy of Exar, I am forced to eliminate you."

*Lucario gritted his teeth as he forced out his claws. "Like hell you will!" He then charged forward, but Malak just stood there and smirked, before using Force Palm, sending Lucario back across the room.

"You think _you _can defeat me?" Malak said, taunting him. "I have lived my life longer than any of you and my skills are unmatched. You will surely die if you try to face me!"

But Lucario didn't care. He then used Aura Sphere but Malak easily swatted it away. Lucario tried to go in for a close attack but Malak dodged it and jumped back onto one of the top ledges. "You will pay for what you've done Malak!" Lucario said, using Aura Sphere again to knock him off. But Malak dodged the attack, jumping to the other side of the cathedral.

"Have you not realized it yet?" Malak then said. "I was never on your side. Jethro and I were double agents for Exar the entire time. Catching you off guard was the only way to beat Telmaria once and for all." He summoned the largest Aura Sphere he could manage. "Now watch as your republic crumbles under the mighty forces of the Empire!" He then sent the sphere right at Lucario but he didn't have time to react as it hit him full force. The power of it was so strong that he got sent flying right out of the cathedral into the air. However, he was already out before he felt himself hit the ground.

* * *

"You think he's dead?"

"No, he's still breathing. We should wake him up though if we can."

"Hey, wake up! Wake up!"

Lucario groaned while opening his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry but he could see two figures above him. Luckily, for them perhaps, they didn't seem threatening which was why he didn't react. Once it cleared, he could see it was a Plusle and a Minun.

"Phew!" Plusle said. "Glad to see you're awake. We were worried about you."

"Yeah, me… not so much," Minun said. He then looked to his friend. "You do know who he is, right?"

"Of course," Plusle replied. "We all know about the Lucario race."

"Where am I?" Lucario asked.

"You're right at the border of Tataran Forest," Minun said. "You must've been blasted a good couple miles to get here. We heard the battle raging but never expected you to show up."

"I… rather we, were betrayed," Lucario said. "My… leader turned out to be working with the enemy. Even now, I fear our kingdom has been lost."

"Aw… that's terrible," Plusle said, frowning. "Well, you're in no shape to go far right now. Come with us, we'll help you get healed."

"Wait a minute, we can't just take him in!" Minun said. "He resides with the humans!"

"We can't just let him get killed," Plusle said. "Seriously Minun, can't you just be more… um…"

"You were going to say positive, weren't you?" Minun said.

"Hehe, my mistake," Plusle said, blushing slightly.

Minun just sighed. "I really hope we don't get hell for this… Anyway, now that you've gotten to know us, what's your name?"

"It's just Lucario," Lucario said.

"Good. It's easy to keep it simple," Minun said. He then sighed. "Ugh, having this tough attitude isn't working for me."

"He wanted to sound tough since he recognized who you were," Plusle explained as she smiled slightly.

"Hey, we're just lucky he didn't try to kill us," Minun replied.

"Well anyway, follow us," Plusle said. "We'll get you healed and then we'll take you to our leader. She'll be able to help you."

They both then went forward into the forest. However, Lucario stood there for a minute and looked back to the castle, the smoke signaling that the castle had been seized. _"James, I wasn't able to save you, nor could I have predicted this all to happen. But mark my words, I will avenge your death and the others, even if it means I have to kill Malak myself."  
_

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* * *

_

(A/N: Wow, FINALLY I had the time to finish this chapter! D: Stupid schedule… stupid school… Oh well, I'm glad to have finally gotten this done. This, of course, is like the turning point in the story and obviously things get more interesting, which means it'll be easier for me to write. Now, if things don't get screwed up again, my updating should go back to normal, or so one would hope. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for the long-ass wait!

Oh yeah, one other thing, I've decided to give Plusle and Minun VA's of their own. For Plusle, she'll be played by Eileen Stevens and Minun will be played by Christopher Niosi. Yes, these are the people who play Lyra and Khoury from the anime but you see why I chose them.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	5. Journey to the West

(A/N: I may have forgotten to mention this but you notice I don't use the word "Pokemon" in this story. That's because back then they weren't referred to as that, so that's why I'll end up just saying wild creatures or something.)

* * *

Chapter 5: Journey to the West

Once going into the forest, Lucario figured out that humans had a completely perspective of what it was like on the inside. Many of the wild creatures scurried around up in the trees, taking notice to him. But not only did they reside in the trees, but they also appeared to live in small huts as well.

Once they got to what appeared to be the largest hut of them all, Plusle turned back to him. "This is our leader's camp," she said. "Please make sure to acknowledge her respectfully."

Lucario nodded and then the three of them went inside. He saw that their leader, perched on a throne of what had to been all wood from fallen branches was a Raichu, which he did not expect. And apparently this Raichu was a she. Plusle and Minun both looked back to him, motioning him to stay as they went forward and both took a bow.

"Lady Kaminari," Minun then said. "We had found this Lucario unconscious near the forest edge. It seems he was caught in the battle that took place close from here."

Kaminari, who had been watching Lucario, nodded and said, "I see." She then got up and walked towards Lucario, staring into his eyes. Once she got up to him, she smiled and bowed slightly. "Greetings Lucario. It is an honor for a member of your race to be among us."

Lucario, Plusle, and Minun were surprised by this. "M-my lady?" Plusle said.

"You stand in the presence of a member of an ancient clan of warriors," Kaminari explained. "I suppose you are of Telmaria?"

"…Yes," Lucario said.

"It's unfortunate that even such a war had to have taken place," Kaminari said. "But I guess that is how humans are." She then looked to Plusle and Minun. "You two, do you mind staying here for a moment? I wish to talk to Lucario privately."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this first song, the name of it is "The Tartara Women's Work Song" from Princess Mononoke. And for Kaminari's VA, I decided to use Willa Holland.)

* * *

Kaminari then motioned for Lucario to follow her outside. Out there was a small pathway that went away from the "village" Soon they stood close to an orchard of flowers that grew in the forest itself. Kaminari then looked back towards Lucario. "I cannot lie, this news is indeed troublesome," she said. "I may not know Exar like Telmaria, but I know that the Empire won't stop there." She then sighed. "They would want to extend their lands, meaning that they would have to destroy our home. I have looked after this forest for almost three years, and now I feel like my back's against the wall." *She then looked across towards where the other creatures were. "I was given a duty long ago, to protect all of those who lived here. It's times like this that we need a hero, one who would do anything to protect the ones they love. Lucario, I have a favor to ask of you. I know it won't be easy, but Exar must be stopped, before it ends up destroying and killing all of us."

Lucario looked down. "I doubt many survived the attack," he said. "In any case, you will need an army to have a chance to stop them."

"And I think I know someone who may be willing to help," Kaminari said. "Of course, I'll have to come with you to show you the way."

"My lady," Lucario then said. "That won't be necessary. You are needed here to protect your people."

"Please, you can just call me Kami," Kami said. "And yes, I know I am needed but I assure you they will be well protected."

"And what will they do if they are attacked?" Lucario asked.

Kami was silent for a couple moments. "They'll do what they're meant to do and defend their home," she said.

"You're no match for the armies of Exar!" Lucario shouted towards her. "If you go against them they will destroy all of you!"

Kami sighed sadly. "I know," she said. "That's why I need your help. Please Lucario, I beg of you to help me. I can't help change the past, but I know we can make the future a better one." Suddenly, an amused smile came to her face. "Ah, I almost forgot to tell you, about a certain endowment I have. You see, I can see visions of the future."

"The future?" Lucario asked. "You mean you can tell what will happen starting from now?"

"It doesn't quite work like that," Kami explained. "The visions come at unexpected moments. But lately, the ones I've had have been rather strange. But enough of that, we need to get back and plan our next steps." Lucario then followed her back to the hut, where the other two were waiting.

"I have made my decision," Kami then said. "I will leave the forest in an attempt to stop the Empire from conquering anymore land."

"Really?" Plusle asked.

"What!" Minun almost yelled.

"I know someone who could help us find followers," Kami explained. "Lucario is willing to help me, and I could use help from you two as well."

"You mean us?" Plusle said. She then blushed slightly in embarrassment. "But we aren't _that _worthy."

"Don't say that Plusle!" Minun said, blushing since he blurted that out. "We'll protect the Lady at all costs!" _"Even though I get the feeling I'll regret this…"_

"Minun…" Plusle then said, surprised.

"Well then, glad we were able to solve that," Kami said, grinning slightly. "And don't worry; they won't know I'm gone. It pays to have doubles you know."

"So where is this friend of yours?" Lucario asked.

"Well, to be honest, it's kind of a hunch," Kami said. "But… I believe he may be in the town of Mysidia."

"That's the closest town from Telmaria," Lucario said. "I guess it would be a good start."

"Then we better get moving before the Empire does," Kami said.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this next part, the song here is "Theme of the Empire" from Final Fantasy XII.)

* * *

*After the battle had ended and the smoke cleared, Telmaria finally became calm again. But, was it correct to name it Telmaria still? The kingdom, sad to say, was overwhelmed by the sudden attack from Exar, as the battle finally ended with Telmaria's eventual surrender, the flags of Exar loomed over the castle and city.

Meanwhile, as troops were marching up and down the city, General Jethro and Malak were walking down the streets, surveying the damage. "I must admit, they put up one hell of a fight," Jethro said.

"And the other Lucario were no easier," Malak replied. "Pity I had to get rid of the one. He could've been a huge asset to our efforts."

"It seems you are among the last of the Lucario clan," Jethro said. "As much as I hate to say it, this could bring the downfall of it completely."

"It had to be done," Malak said. "But what's to be done now my master?"

"We start branching out," Jethro said. "Telmaria has left too many of these towns and villages independent. By order of the emperor, soldiers are being sent out to check each town and see if they are willing to join the Empire."  
"Except we know they won't. They have no love for the Empire," Malak said. "They'll just have to be taken by force."

"Unfortunately it may seem so," Jethro replied. "But now, we must hurry back to the castle and plan our strategy of "obtaining" these provinces."

"So you've been training and fighting for almost a year now?" Minun asked.

"Ever since my master… my friend took me in," Lucario said. "I have no recollection of my parents and I was on my own for the longest time until I ended up in Telmaria."

Minun winced slightly, figuring out what Lucario saying. "I'm sorry, I had no idea-"

"Don't worry about it," Lucario said. "He did his duty, and died for his kingdom. No one could ask anymore than that."

"Does it ever bother you?" Plusle asked. "To always fight and kill?"

"It runs in my blood," Lucario replied. "That's what we're born to do, whether it's by ourselves or along with others."

Meanwhile, Kami was ahead of them, keeping to herself. _"He's not the only one who lost family," _she thought. _"I remember that day well… Everything I had was gone, just like that. And Dane…" _She almost stopped as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked down. _"Dane, why did you have to leave? I know you thought it was for the best, but look at me now. And why have you not come back to see me?"_

"You've been quiet." Kami almost jumped as she turned and saw Lucario next to her.

"I-I'm sorry," she said. "Just thinking about stuff, that's all." _"He doesn't know the truth yet. About me anyway. I worry how he'll react when he finds out. Oh Dane, I do hope you're a Mysidia when we get there."_

As they kept moving, Lucario suddenly sensed something. "Wait," he said. "Someone's coming. Quick, into the bush." They then jumped right into the largest bush closest to them and waited. As Lucario had expected, a small regiment of soldiers appeared coming from the opposite road close to their right. They were no doubt Exar soldiers, but how did they get here so fast?

"It won't be long till we reach Mysidia," one of the soldiers said, possibly the leader. "Remember, we're not here to cause any conflicts. All we have to do is let the town know that we're willing to aid them if they decide to join us. Now hurry, the emperor will want us to be quick about this."

"No!" Kami whispered loudly. "If they get there, Mysidia will surely refuse, and if that happens, the Empire will burn the entire town down."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this upcoming battle, the song will be "Battle 1" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

"Got any ideas then?" Lucario asked.

"We'll have to do this the hard way," Kami said. "But wait here for a second…" She then jumped up right into the tree above them ever so silent and swiftly.

"Holy cow!" Minun almost yelled.

"_How could she be so quick?" _Lucario said. _"That's the skills of a… Dragoon…" _

Kami then used her speed and tail to jump really far and jumping onto one of the soldiers and stabbing him through the head easily before any of them could react. "What the-!" the one soldier said. "It's a Raichu!"

"Time for us to aid her," Lucario said as he and the two mouse-types jumped out of the bush.

"More of them!" the soldier said. "A Lucario too? They must be with Telmaria then! Attack!"

*"Well, I think you got their attention," Lucario said.

"Good, now let's take care of them then," Kami replied.

"We'll help too!" both Plusle and Minun said.

Kami smiled. "Now, have a load of this! Thunder!" She then used her attack, causing a large to form and send down bolts of energy down on the soldiers, taking out one of them. Lucario then used Metal Claw to kill the next soldier with ease.

"Alright Plusle!" Minun said as Plusle nodded. They then put their paws together, as if channeling their energy through one another. "Ready?" The energy then shot out of them as they yelled "Charge Beam!" The attack obliterated the last of the troops as the battle quickly ended.  


* * *

(A/N: Ah yes, it's that time again. For this story, the victory theme I'm using is "The Winner" from Final Fantasy VIII. Clever, no?)

* * *

"Well, that didn't seem too bad," Kami then said.

"They were only a small group," Lucario said. "No doubt we'll encounter more of them later on, and in larger numbers."

"Right," Kami said. "You alright Plusle and Minun?"

"We're fine," Plusle said. "You see, Minun and I have to use our attacks together or else we'll quickly run out of energy. But, it's a good tactic."

"So in other words, we're worth having along," Minun said, grinning.

Lucario couldn't help but smile. Those two were quite the pair. "Anyway, we better get to Mysidia quick and find your friend. It won't be long before the Empire starts noticing us."

Kami nodded as the four of them continued on their way. _"Don't worry Dane; we'll be reunited again real soon."  


* * *

_

(A/N: Well, glad to see I finally got this done. Once again, school is being a pain but oh well. So, sorry about the long wait people. Luckily, fall break is coming up so you know what that means. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, the cake is a lie.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	6. The Assassin

(A/N: Hmm… you know, I think I've decided for the theme of Mysidia to be "Vivi's Theme" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

Chapter 6: The Assassin

It wasn't long before they reached the town of Mysidia. "There it is," Kami said. "It's a good thing we stopped those soldiers when we did." *Once entering the town, they could see why the Empire was so interested in it. Mysidia was indeed a large town, which could easily be used as a garrison for the Empire.

"So," Lucario asked, as people and creatures a like passed them. "Where is it that we can find your friend?"

"Hmm…" Kami looked around for any building that seemed familiar. "Well, there's one place I could possibly guess." They then headed towards the closest tavern. "Plusle, Minun," she then said. "Perhaps it's best if you two stay out here for right now until we come back."

"Of course," Plusle said, bowing slightly as Minun rolled his eyes.

Lucario and Kami then went inside. As to perhaps no surprise, it was crowded. _"If there's one thing I learned about humans," _Lucario thought. _"They sure like to drink a lot." _They went around, obviously getting weird looks from anyone who passed by. Suddenly, Kami stiffened. "Kami?" Lucario asked.

"…He's over there," Kami then said. "The one table farthest away from everyone else. So typical of you, Dane."

"Well…?" Lucario asked. "Aren't you going to greet him?"

"I…" Kami then found herself. "You have to forgive me, I have not seen him in almost three years and I don't know if he's changed. I'll… stay behind for right now. You talk to him."

* * *

(A/N: For this upcoming part, the next song I'm using is "SeeD" from Final Fantasy VIII. Oh yeah, and for Dane's VA, I decided to go with Doug Erholtz who plays Squall/Leon.)

* * *

Lucario sighed. "Alright," he said. He then walked across the room casually he stood in front of the man. "Dane?"

Quickly getting his attention, the man looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah, that's me," he said.

"I'm in a situation and was told you could help me," Lucario replied.

"Who could've-?" He looked around and the instant he saw Kami, his expression softened. "K-Kami? Is that you?"

Kami found herself blushing again. "Yes, it's me," she said. "Dane… where have you been? I… thought you were going to come back and see me?"

Dane sighed and put a hand to his head. "I know, I promised that, didn't I?" He looked down. "Things got… complicated after I left Kami. I… found myself without any money and nowhere else to go. So… I became a mercenary."

Kami looked down. "So… this is what you've been doing for three years? Committing acts just for money? I thought after I met you, and being with you had changed you, but I was wrong." She then turned around angrily and refused to look at him.

"Wait a minute, you two were once companions?" Lucario asked, looking between the two.

"I can explain," Dane said, sitting up. "While we were at war with Telmaria, I found her lying in a forest that had been completely burned down, killing everything with it. She somehow survived. I took her in to find her a new home… but… there were complications."

"Wait, you were at war with Telmaria?" Lucario asked. "Then that means-"

"That's right," Dane said, standing up. *"I was an Aura Seeker of the Arcanian Kingdom, and we were once enemies."

"Wait, you're an Aura Seeker?" Lucario asked.

"Well, yes but I also have the ability to summon," Dane said. "But, those days are pretty much behind me now since the kingdom was destroyed."

"Oh… my apologies," Lucario said.

"There's no need," Dane said. "That was three years ago… I fortunately have moved on." He then looked up. "I see Telmaria suffered a similar fate. I'm not sure whether to think they deserved it or not."

Kami quickly turned around. "Dane!" she said.

Dane sighed. "Forgive me," he said. "But with the war with the Empire, you know something like this could've happened."

"It's not that simple," Lucario said. "We were betrayed."

"…I'm listening," Dane said.

"Our leader, Malak, was apparently a double agent, along with his master, working with the Empire," Lucario continued.

Dane quickly shot up, fierceness in his eyes. "Did you say Malak!"

"You know him?" Lucario asked.

"Oh I know him alright," Dane said, sitting down. "Kami and I both. It was when the kingdom was lost and we had to escape. I can never forget that day…"  


* * *

(A/N: For the flashback here, the song that will be used is "Another Side, Another Story" from Kingdom Hearts.)

* * *

*Flashback*

_Arcania laid in a state of ruin and flames. The Telmarians completely torched the kingdom to the ground. Except for the crackling of the flames all was quiet. The place had become a gravesite._

_All of a sudden, a figure leaped from the roof of one of the houses that was still standing. Cloaked to disguise his figure, he looked around at the results of the chaos that ensued before. "I can't believe they went this far," the figure said. "Everything… is gone."_

"_Dane…" He wasn't alone since Kami was underneath on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"_

"_Don't worry about it right now," Dane quickly said. "We have to get out of here now but we must stay alert. No doubt there has to be guards around the outside gates."_

_They then moved quickly and quietly through the rubble. Luckily for them the area seemed clear but one couldn't be too careful… Once they got closer to the entrance, Dane said, "I think it's safe to come out Kami."_

"_Okay," Kami said as she came out. She then jumped onto the ground and followed him. All of a sudden, Dane's aura went off like a time bomb and out of nowhere an Aura Sphere came and struck Kami, sending her backwards. _

"_Kami!" Dane cried out. He then looked for his attacker, but in the darkness it was hard to see._

"_Did you honestly think you two could escape so easily?"*Dane looked for the source and saw it was coming from a Lucario, but it was colored differently, with yellow and light blue fur. "It seems you two are the last ones left, at least as far as we know."_

"_So, you're this Malak I keep hearing about," Dane said, raising his sword. "You're going to pay for the murders you committed!" All of a sudden, Kami came out of nowhere attacking Malak with a fierceness he hadn't seen since the moment he had first met her. However, Malak kept dodging her attacks. "Kami wait!" Dane said, not sure what to do next._

_Malak, as if almost waiting for the right moment, used Metal Claw and suddenly stabbed her right in the abdomen. "No!" Dane cried out as Kami was sent back, bleeding from her wound. He looked back at Malak in fury. "I'm going to kill you for doing that!"_

_Malak just smirked. "Try if you can," he said, getting into a stance. Dane then responded by charging forward, not even caring how he took the approach, he just wanted this Lucario dead now. However, Malak, Lucario as he was, was skilled in close-range combat and blocked most of Dane's attack. He then used another Aura Sphere to knock Dane back, leaving him vulnerable. Dane was about to use Aura Sphere as well but Malak used his speed and got Dane in the shoulder and then kicked him straight in the face, knocking him down. _

_Dane tried to get up but the pain in his right shoulder weighed him down as he couldn't use his weapon. Malak then stopped, still smirking. "I could kill you both right now and make this quick, but I'd rather see you both suffer and fade away slowly. This place will be your gravesite." And with that, Malak ran off, returning back with the others._

_Dane grimaced, clutching his shoulder with his other hand. "Kami…" he then said. He got up slowly and practically crawled to the Raichu. She had passed out but was still breathing. However, she was losing a lot of blood. Dane then put a hand on her wound and closed his eyes, using his aura to seal up the wound. "There, now no more blood should come out." He then picked her up into his arms and got his sword. "There's nothing left here for us," he said, sighing. "Guess we gotta find ourselves a new home now…"_

"And just like that, everything changed," Dane said. "The kingdom had fallen in a matter of hours. We had no warning of attack. There was nothing we could've done."

Lucario looked to Kami, who now had her head bent down and it almost looked like she was blushing slightly. "When I hear your story, it makes it sound like you got it worse than Telmaria did."

"Perhaps," Dane said. "But I understand why you're here, why Kami brought you here. The Empire will no doubt want to extend their borders. Kami, they might target your home next."

"I know," she replied. "We need your help Dane, see if we can find anyone who is willing to fight against the Empire."

"Well, as far as my work goes, I know many areas around here, none that support the Empire," Dane said. "I can help you convince them if need be."

"So you will join us?" Lucario asked.

"Yes," Dane said. "Luckily for you, I'm more than a skilled swordsman. My work in the past has involved contracts for killing public officials."

"An assassin?" Lucario asked.

"Indeed," Dane said, showing off one of his wrist blades. "You could say I'm now quite capable of killing even Lucario if I had to." Kami just stood silent, staring at him.

"In that case, we better get going while we still can," Lucario said. "The Empire is probably on the move as we speak."

"Good, then considered me hired," Dane said, standing up and the three of them left the bar.

Once they were out, they met back up with Plusle and Minun. "Plusle and Minun, I want you to meet my friend Dane," Kami then said. However, the way she said "friend" almost seemed forced and even Dane noticed her tone of voice.

"But they're just children," Dane then replied.

"Hey who you calling a child!" Minun said. "You don't look the best fit for battle either." Dane just rolled his eyes.

"Forgive him," Plusle said. "Lady Kami asked us to accompany her."

"Lady?" Dane asked, looking at her. "I didn't know you became their leader?"

"That was almost two years ago…" Kami said. "Perhaps you could've known that if you had ever visited."

Dane sighed. "Well, let's get going then. "There's a place in the north and it could be a valuable asset to us. Or the Empire depending on who gets there first."

"Lead the way then Dane," Lucario said as they set off from Mysidia.

Dane could tell Kami was not happy with him at all. He would talk to her about it, but not now. However, what Dane didn't know was that Kami was only feigning anger. Deep down inside, she was crying…

* * *

(A/N: And that will do it for this chapter! I'm actually on break now so perhaps I can try to get one more chapter done before Tuesday? Who knows? Actually, I'm thinking about doing a new story while writing this one. I won't spoil it since you'll perhaps find out about it soon enough. Until then, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, never shotgun Monster Energy Drink…)

FoxMcCloud7921


	7. The Battle to the North

(A/N: Okay, for this first part, the song used here is "The Battle In Front of the Ironworks" from Princess Mononoke.)

* * *

Chapter 7: The Battle to the North

*Meanwhile, a rather ferocious battle was taking place at the ironworks of Eblan. Cooped up in their fortress, the men of the ironworks were fighting against soldiers of Exar. While the Empire had more numbers, the Eblians had the advantage in power, and that was due to a weapon so few many kingdoms ever created.

"Line up your shots men!" their captain yelled at them, while the opposing forces were attempting to siege the fortress, accompanied by archers with crossbows. "Ready! Aim! Fire!" About sixty shots went off at the same time, small iron balls that pierced through the armor the soldiers had, killing them instantly or mortally wounding them. "Now prepare your shots again!"

It was a timely process to reload, but as long as they had the high ground, they had the advantage. Although, at this rate, the battle could become a war of attrition.

As Lucario and the others continued on their way, they could hear blasts coming from the North. "It's as I feared," Dane said. "The Empire has already made its strike." They then peered out of one of the nearby bushes, looking towards the fortress. "This is the place I was talking about," Dane explained. "The ironworks of Eblan. They're one of the first iron makers to create rifles. They're deadly, at close or long-range. The Empire is gonna have a heck of a time getting inside the fort."

"We can get in through the backside of the fort," Lucario said.

"But there appears to be guards keeping watch east of our position," Kami said. "We can't go in without being undetected."

"We'll just need to borrow some of their armor," Dane said. "And I think I have an idea…"  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this next part, due to its somewhat comical standpoint, the song used here is "Jesters of the Moon" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

"Aye, why do we have to be up here while they're doing all the fighting?" the one guard asked.

"You heard our orders," the other replied. "We're to keep guard and alert the troops if we see any sign of escape as well as keep an eye on anything nearby."

"Right, like they would want to come by this part of the countryside," the first guard said. Suddenly, a ball of iron zoomed past them straight into a tree. "See what I mean!"

"Oh calm down," the second guard said. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes that got both their attention. "Who's there! Show yourself!"

*All of a sudden, there came out two creatures that looked almost identical except for their colors. "Aye, Plusle, look at this," the blue one said, almost obnoxiously. "These two humans, scared of us!"

"Oh but Minun," the red one said. "These are just soldiers from Exar."

"Exar!" Minun cried out and went on his knees begging. "No please! Do not destroy my home! I have family and friends who I love so much!"

The two just stood their stunned. "Um… what's going on here?" the first guard asked.

"They're just wild monsters, don't worry about them, they're only little," the second guard said.

"Little!" Minun said, losing his composure again. "I'll show you little!" He then used Discharge.

"Ah! You little bastard!" the second guard said. "I will kill you for attacking a soldier of the Empire!"

"Oooh!" Plusle said mockingly. "Did you hear that? Because they're with the Empire they think they're all that!"

"Yeah, who thinks they can just bully us all around," Minun replied.

"Well, what are you two going to do about it?" the second guard asked.

"Nothing," Plusle said. "But he'll do something."

"Huh?" both of the guards and before they could see that Dane was right behind them, one got a dagger through the face while the other got his head snapped.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," Dane said. "Nice work you two."

"Yeah, we should get into the theater business," Minun said, while Plusle smiled at him.

"Alright, here comes phase two," Dane said, taking off the armor of the one guard and putting it on himself. "Lucario, you're gonna have to come with me since I may need some help actually getting inside. Kami, you, Plusle, and Minun, stay here for now. Don't worry, when things either get settled out or get in a twist, I'll let you know."

"Right," Kami said.

"Now, let's hurry," Dane said, going forward towards the battle with Lucario following behind. Fortunately for him, as a former soldier, he could easily pick out where the captain is, despite the huge mass of soldiers. "Captain!" he then said to the soldier who was clad in "high quality" armor, about two hundred meters from the actual ironworks.

"What is it?" the captain replied, obviously not in the best of moods. "Wait a minute, where did this Lucario come from?"

Dane looked at Lucario, telling him to play along. "The Emperor thought it was better to bring one of us along so that this battle could go swifter," Lucario said.

"Thank Arceus," the captain said. "We could sure use your help, knowing your reputation. Soldier, seeing as you're with him, I want you to accompany this Lucario and look for another way into the fortress and report once you do."

"Yes sir," Dane replied, saluting. He then nodded to Lucario and the two carefully went along the edge of the fortress.

"I'm guessing you know another way in?" Lucario asked.

"Indeed," Dane said. "Just follow me." They had to keep low to avoid being spotted, while Dane kept tapping the wall beside him. Once he heard a lighter knock, he smiled and pushed the section of the wall, making it open like a door.

"You've been here before then," Lucario said.

"On a couple of occasions," Dane replied as they went through the small passage. Once they got to a dead end, he then felt the ceiling until the one block moved up and pushed it out of the way before jumping up. As it turned out, they were now deep in the ironworks, although it couldn't be said how long they could go without being caught. "Now, all we have to do is…oh dear." Before he could even finish his sentence, they were then surrounded by riflemen. "Just let me handle this," he said, putting up his hands. "People of Eblan," he continued, taking off the helmet he had on. "I am here to see your leader Talen."

"And just who may you be?" one of the soldiers said.

"Is that you Dane?" Suddenly one of the larger men came into and noticed Dane immediately and smiled. "Aha, it is you!" He then went up to him and shook hands before hugging him. "It's been a long time old friend. How have the past couple of years treated you?"

"Not bad, could've been worse," Dane replied. He them motioned to Lucario. "This is Lucario, whom I just met recently. He's from Telmaria."

"Ah, my deepest apologies," Talen said, bowing his head. "That was a terrible act committed by the Empire. And even now, they're attacking our peaceful settlement."

"We're trying to gain support from other areas to fight against the Empire," Lucario said. "Dane said you may be able to help us."

"As of the moment, we have ourselves to worry about," Talen said. "I'll make you a deal Dane. You help us get rid of these Exar scoundrels and we'll put full support to your efforts."

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Dane replied. "Where should we start first?"

"They're surely to attempt to break down the main gate," Talen said. "If they do, we'll surely be overwhelmed."

"Then that's where we'll start first," Dane said. He then whistled loudly. "Kami will know it's safe." It wasn't long before the three electrics joined them.

"Looks like it's gonna be like the good old times, right?" Kami asked.

"Indeed," Dane replied. "Talen, we'll focus on the gate. You and your men try to hold them off as best you can."

"Alright! Good luck Dane!" Talen said as the group rushed towards the main gate.  


* * *

(A/N: For this battle, the song I'm using is "Desperate Struggle" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

*As they approached, the gate broke down and some of the Exar soldiers came rushing in. "Great, the welcoming party," Dane said, drawing out his sword. "We gotta make sure no one breaks through." He then dashed forward and slashed the first soldier, killing him immediately. Lucario then used Aura Sphere, causing the next soldier's head to be swiped off cleanly.

Kami then jumped into the air and landed, impaling the next soldier in the head, killing off the remainder of the first wave. "Plusle! Minun!"

The two nodded and then both used Thunder, taking care of the second wave easily. However, now Exar brought in the big weapons as they saw what appeared to be two Aggron and a Salamence. "Ha, I can take of these guys easily," Dane said.

"What!" Kami said. "You can still-?"

"Yep," Dane replied. He then bowed his head and began summoning. "If you're still with me Garchomp, I need your assistance!" All of a sudden, out of the sky came a large shadow flying down to where Dane was.

"It's been too long Dane!" Garchomp said. "But good to see you again! Shall I take care of this?"

"Give them your worst," Dane replied.

Garchomp then flew higher into the air. "Draco Meteor!" All of a sudden, hot chunks came raining down onto the Aggron and Salamence, taking them out immediately.

"Thank you Garchomp," Dane said, as Garchomp flew away.

"I'll be around if you need me!" were the last words he heard Garchomp said.

"Keep it up lads!" Talen then said above them. "They're at breaking point!" The men above then reloaded their rifles and fired one last volley into the crowd, disposing it quickly. Seeing as their numbers were dropping heavily, there was then a call for retreat as they ran away from the fort.

"Well done men!" Talen said later on. He then looked to the group of outsiders. "And I definitely have to thank you Dane. If you didn't come by we probably wouldn't have as much of a chance for success."

"The pleasure is ours," Dane said. "Now… about before…"

"Ah yes, we did have an agreement," Talen said. "So… what is your plan?"

"As of now, we're trying to find anyone who is willing to stand up to the Empire before they strike again," Kami said.

"I can supply the best troops I have," Talen said. "But I will need time to get everything back on track." When do you hope to have us all meet?"

"Three days from now at Tataran Forest," Kami replied.

"Three days?" Dane asked. "That's a bit soon, don't you think?"

"Looks like we'll just have to move quickly then," Lucario replied. "Where's the closest kingdom from here?"

"The kingdom of Landblum in the east," Talen said.

"That's gonna be a rather long trip," Dane replied.

"More of a reason for us to hurry," Kami said, and it wasn't long before they then departed for Landblum."

"Do you think they'll really be able to convince Landblum to aid them?" one of the riflemen asked.

"If they don't, then this will definitely be the shortest rebellion any kingdom has ever faced," Talen said.

* * *

(A/N: Well, that does it for this chapter! Sorry it once again took long to upload… school again. DX Good thing I got a head start on this beforehand then. Anyway, I think you're starting to understand the main plot here. But don't worry, it's not that linear, for I shall find a way to add certain things into a plot, plus MORE PARTY MEMBERS! XD So until then, stayed tune on Pokemon Beginnings II: Lucario's Story! This is FoxMcCloud7921, signing off. Have a good day! …..And yes I did just quote HCBailly.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	8. Something Worth Fighting For

Chapter 8: Something Worth Fighting For

Night was beginning to fall as the group continued east. Fortunately, they found themselves in one of the larger forests of the region, which would keep them covered and out of sight. "This will make a good place to rest for the night," Dane then said. "Let's find what we can around here to start a fire."

Once the fire was made, they gathered around it to stay warm throughout the night. They talked about the day's events as slowly each of them began to grow tired and fall asleep. The only two then still awake were Dane and Kami.

Dane sighed. "I know you're probably still upset at me, aren't you?" he asked.

"I never said I was," Kami replied simply while looking away slightly.

"Well, I never truly explained myself," Dane continued. "You see, shortly after I left, I fell into some money problems. Things got worse and seeing that I was from Arcania, it didn't help me at all. So… I went with the last thing I had: my skills, and I made a profession out of it."

"Dane… I had no idea times had been so tough," Kami said, looking down.

"More importantly, I did what I did for you, to protect you," Dane said. "Kami, I took plenty of bad things out of this world, but you are the one good thing I still have left," he added, as tears streamed down Kami's eyes.

Kami was crying softly as she jumped into Dane's arms as he stroked her back gently, calming her down. They both then stared into the fire quietly. "You know Kami," Dane said. "The whole reason I left you back at Tataran Forest was to prevent you from getting hurt. And what do you know, your home is in danger now."

"You should've known I wasn't gonna stay out long," Kami said, smiling. "But I know we'll find a way out of this eventually. I guess all we can do is… pray."

"There's no doubt we can succeed," Dane said. "Trust me, I know many who oppose the Empire." He then looked up into the cloudless sky. "We should get some rest."

Kami snuggled up into him. "Thank you Dane… for everything you've done for me…" And it wasn't long before she was asleep.

Dane looked around for a bit before closing his eyes. _"I hope we know what we're getting ourselves into here…"  


* * *

_

As dawn approached, with the sun rising slowly, Dane opened his eyes slowly, the light blinding him slightly. Although it was quiet, he could sense that Lucario was already awake. He was proven to be correct as he found Lucario meditating. "It's been so long I had forgotten about the Lucario and their rituals," Dane commented, knowing that Lucario was aware of his presence.

"And are Aura Seekers any different?" Lucario said softly, his eyes still closed.

"It depends on the kingdom," Dane said, leaning up against one of the trees. "For us, it was waking up at the crack of dawn, training for what would seem like close to four or five hours straight until our bodies ached and would go on for another three after that. Of course, also being a soldier didn't make things any easier." He then drew out his sword. "But I think now is a good time to test both our strengths. Besides, it's been awhile I had to fight any good opponents."

Lucario's eyes flew straight open. "What do you mean?"

"Just a friendly duel," Dane said reassuringly. "No harm intended. Of course, I could understand why you wouldn't want to."

"Who said I wasn't interested?" Lucario said, getting up.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this next part, the song I'm using is "Irish Dance" from Bleach: Fade to Black.)

* * *

Dane chuckled. "Now that's what I like to see." He then drew his sword forward. *"So… let's just see how strong the Lucario race is…"

Lucario smirked in response, drawing his Metal Claws and launching forward, hoping to catch Dane off guard. However, Dane was only baiting him and dodged out of the way. He then charged forward but Lucario managed to block in time, and then attempted to use Force Palm. The attack grazed Dane and he got away while looking at the mark. "Well, I see you're more then you say you are," Dane commented.

Meanwhile, both Plusle and Minun had been woken up by the sudden commotion. "What… what's going on?" Plusle asked.

"Looks like they're having fun training," Minun said. "…If you could call it that."

Kami, who was looking from the same tree she had been sleeping in, looked at the battle and sighed. "You definitely haven't changed one bit Dane," she said, a slight smile on her face.

Lucario then used Aura Sphere but Dane knocked it away with his sword. "You'll have to better than that to beat Malak!" Lucario just gritted his teeth and using his speed, attacked again, just barely missing Dane this time. However, he then quickly used Aura Sphere and managed to knock Dane's sword out of his hand.

"Impressive," Dane said, picking back up his sword afterward. "Most impressive."

"I'm guessing the same was said about Malak?" Lucario asked.

"Malak was indeed stronger," Dane said. "Even I didn't have a chance." He then sheathed his sword. "Anyway, now that we're all awake, we may as well get going then and continue on."

"Keep heading east then?" Minun asked.

"That's right," Dane said and soon they continued their journey eastward.

"What's so important about Landblum anyway?" Plusle asked.

"Aren't they the ones with the large naval fleet?" Kami asked.

"Exactly," Dane said. "And you can see why we're heading there."

"Telmaria is just inland from the ocean," Lucario asked. "You want to attack them from the sea."

"A large artillery strike will help any troop advancements," Dane said. "Of course, gun powder is still an early invention, even for those who are skilled at using it."

"So we convince them to help us and that will give us an advantage?" Minun asked.

"Maybe not a large one, but at least a small one," Dane said. "Unfortunately, I have no friends there this time so it'll be harder to convince them."

However, they did not have much time to negotiate…

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Telmaria, preparations had been made and the decision was made to start clearing out the nearby forestry to build land-bridges and use for supplies. Jethro was overlooking the activity, with Malak by his side. However, looking at what was taking place, with the trees and homes of many being cut down, a part of him asked himself if this was right. _"Do humans really have the right to decide to destroy others' homes just to protect themselves?" _Malak asked himself. _"This can't be right. It's almost cowardly. But…what can I do to convince them otherwise?"_ However, he could only watch. What choice did he have? But make no mistake, he would put an end to this if he had the opportunity. Someday, humans will learn the price of being the oppressors.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this next part, I decided to put this song in. The name of the song is "A Brief Respite" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

The road started to expand and Lucario, Dane, and the others could start seeing the coastline. *"Ugh, I've just realized," Minun said. "We haven't even gotten any food yet." His stomach then growled.

"You know, back when I was training, I didn't eat anything for almost two days at a time," Dane said.

"Ugh, you're insane," Minun said. All of a sudden, an apple was put out in front of him.

"There, satisfied now?" Kami said, a bit of a smile on her face.

"I-um… yes, thank you Kami," Minun said, taking the apple and blushing slightly while Plusle rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Well, since you brought it up, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to find ourselves something," Lucario said. "Since the road ahead is still rather long."

"Alright, but we're gonna have to make it quick," Dane said. "Knowing the Empire, they've already begun their next plans."

They then started eating apples as well, which were picked by Kami herself. As he kept eating, Dane had a look as though something was on his mind. "What is Dane?" Kami then asked.

"At this rate, we'll lose too much time," Dane replied. "What we need is a quicker way of transportation." He then walked closer to the edge of the cliff and suddenly smiled. "And I think I just found a solution."

They saw what he was looking at and lo and behold, there was a ship rocking close to the cliffs silently, completely empty. "Is this a Landblum ship?" Lucario asked.

"Yes, but it doesn't seem to be a warship," Kami said. "Strange how it just happens to be abandoned."

"Either way, it's now ours, right?" Plusle asked.

"That's right," Dane said. "We'll use this to reach the port. If we're lucky, they won't attack us then." He then jumped down straight into the boat. "Good, it's still all in one piece. Let's hurry while we have the chance." The rest followed suit and got into the boat. "Now, let's make a course for Landblum."

"Wait a minute, what's gonna happen if they see we're not from there?" Minun asked.

"Then we'll most likely be shot out of the water," Dane replied calmly.

"I had to ask," Minun said, groaning.

"That's why we'll do our best to sneak in quietly," Dane explained. "Even if we tried a white flag I doubt they would let us through. They have a reputation, and it's not a good one either."

Letting down the sail, the boat quickly picked up the current that was coming through and started moving at a rather good speed. "So, just how powerful is this fleet?" Lucario then asked.

"Trust me, if the Empire wants it that bad, then it's a pretty damn good fleet," Dane said. "Back when Arcania was still around, we would travel close to the Landblum border. The fleet seemed almost endless. Of course, there were only perhaps four or five hundred ships total but they were powerful ships, make no mistake about that. Of course, if Exar is after them too then they must be either desperate or they're paranoid about a rebellion. Of course, they presume correctly. If we get the chance to meet with the Regent, then hopefully we can work something out."

"Regent?" Kami asked. "What happened to their king?"

"From what I've heard, he's become bedridden from sort of disease," Dane said. "King Tellah is his name. Regent Arden is currently ruling the kingdom."

"To be honest, something seems fishy here," Lucario said.

"I would have to agree," Dane said. "But for now, what is important is that we get Landblum to join our cause."

Soon, out into the distance, they saw what appeared to be a large city with a large port. "Is that Landblum?" Plusle asked.

"Wait a minute," Kami said. "Dane, I see at least two gun ships on both sides."

"I don't think they've seen us," Dane replied. That was quickly proven wrong as both ships started opening fire, blasting around them.

"Damn it! Hold on!" Dane said, steering the ship a sharp left to avoid the incoming fire but proved to be futile as one of the artillery rounds struck the ship and practically snapped the ship in half, sending everyone in different directions. The last thing each of them saw was hitting the water before passing out.

* * *

(A/N: Ugh…. Sorry for the long wait everyone. Unfortunately, once again, school is rearing its ugly head at me and I've been busy like a mofo, for real. Anyway, I'm glad I was able to finally finish this chapter which took how long again? Oh well, hope you didn't mind the long wait and in the future I'll hopefully try to make my uploads quicker!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	9. The Spy

(A/N: Damn it! I wish this hadn't taken so long stupid school, ruining everything!)

Chapter 9: The Spy

It was probably the incredible pain in his head that woke up Lucario. Surprisingly enough, instead of waking up in a jail cell he woke up in a bed, which proved to be rather comfy. "Oh good, you're finally awake." Lucario looked over and saw a woman on the other side of the room. She had to have been a nurse. "You didn't seem to take any serious wounds but the blast itself might have caused some trauma. How do you feel?"

"Aside from my skull close to cracking, I'm fine," Lucario replied. "But… what happened?"

Suddenly, the door opened and in came a man, wearing majestic robes. Perhaps he was the regent? "Thank you Rina, that will be all," the man said.

"Yes your royalness," the nurse said, bowing and then leaving.

"I have to apologize on behalf of what took place," the man said. "The men were too quick to assume you were from Exar, but I can tell your not. I am Regent Arden, the current ruler of Landblum."

Lucario then got up and bowed. "Right, I was told you were taking the throne in King Tellah's stead."

"Yes, unfortunately the king is has grown terribly ill," Arden replied. "We have tried using different things to cure him, but they seem to have no effect on him this time. If the king dies, this will be terrible news for Landblum."

"So where are the others that were with me?" Lucario asked.

"They are fine, they should all be back on their feet by now," Arden replied. "But I must know, there is a reason why you are here, no?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." The door had opened and in came Dane, Kami, Plusle, and Minun.

"I recognize that crest anywhere," Arden said. "Arcania, no?"

"You presume correctly," Dane replied. "Sir, I can assure you we are all friends of Landblum."

"There was no question of your loyalty," Arden replied. "So, you _are _here for something then?"

"A favor actually," Kami said. "We know about Landblum's reputation."

"Ah yes," Arden replied, smiling. "The largest fleet in the entire region. Let me guess, you plan to raise a rebellion against Exar?"

"At least drive them out of Telmaria," Lucario said. "Some of the soldiers had to have either escaped or survived. If we drive them out, then we can rebuild."

Arden was in deep thought. "Although I want to help, I can only provide so many ships. The defense of our kingdom is our top priority. However… perhaps we can work something out."

"What did you have in mind?" Dane asked.

"If you can help find a cure for King Tellah, then I will see if I can provide some support for your rebel army," Arden said.

"I think what we need to find out is how he became sick in the first place?" Lucario asked.

However, Dane was lost in thought. _"Something seems fishy here…" _"Your highness?" Dane then said. "What was the king doing before he became ill?"

"Well, the last thing he did was eat dinner," Arden said. "We thought it was food poisoning, but it seems the food must've been really tainted."

"I see…" Dane replied. "Who's been treating him?"

"One of our servants, who is supposedly good with herbal treatments," Arden replied. "If you need to ask him anything, he should be in his quarters on the second floor."

"Arden, is it alright if we see the king?" Dane asked.

"He is resting now, so it would be best not to disturb him," Arden replied.

"We're not going to wake him up," Dane said, motioning to the others to follow him. "I just need to check one thing, that is all."

"…Very well then, as long as you don't disturb him," Arden said reluctantly.

"What's going on in your head Dane?" Kami asked.

"Something doesn't seem right here," Dane replied. "And there's only one place where I can figure this entire thing out."

Soon they came to the king's quarters. Opening the door slightly, they saw the king was deep asleep. They then opened the door quietly and went inside. Dane almost instantly went to the side of the bed and observed one of the glasses the king must've drank out of. He then saw a white residue on the surface and felt it. "Poison," he then said.

"What!" Almost everyone yelled before they covered their mouths. However, they then went outside of the room.

"This is why the king has been gravely ill…" Dane then said. "Luckily, it's only a small amount that won't actually kill him."

"But why? Why would one of the servants want to kill their own king?" Minun asked.

"Because this servant doesn't serve Landblum, if he even is a servant," Lucario replied.

"Of course… Exar would play this type of game," Dane said. "I think it's time we pay this "servant" a visit."

* * *

Upon reaching the door on the second floor, Dane kicked open the door, as they rushed into the room, where the servant quickly turned around, surprised by the sudden intrusion. "There he is, Regent!" Dane said, pointing at him.

Regent Arden stormed into the room. "What is the meaning of this Lucah!" he yelled at him.

The man, Lucah, just stared at all of them. "What do you mean sire?" he asked.

"You poisoned and attempted to kill your own king," Dane said.

"I-I don't understand what you mean!" Lucah said.

"We saw the poison Lucah," Arden said. "You will be charged for treason against your kingdom!"

All of a sudden, the man started laughing. "Treason you say?" he said. "How can I commit treason against a kingdom I never pledged loyalty to!" All of a sudden, there was a sudden explosion of smoke and the man was gone.

"Damn it!" Arden said. "He was a spy of Exar the entire time. They dare try to cripple our kingdom?"

"More to weaken your kingdom so that they can attack," Kami said. "Just shows how far they will go to fulfill their needs."

"There's no time to waste!" Dane then said. "Arden, we'll take care of the spy, but have any troops prepared just in case!" Arden nodded and the group started chasing after the man from Exar.

* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this next part, the song being used is "Battle 2" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

They then soon finally caught up to him as he was racing down one of the many hallways in the kingdom. *"Lucah!" Dane then yelled, making him stop. "There's nowhere else to run!"

Lucah then turned around. "I'm surprised you were able to figure things out so quickly," he said. "But it doesn't matter. Things are going as planned."

"What, you were going to attack Landblum and try to seize their fleet?" Lucario asked.

"It was an idea, but more just to expand our empire," Lucah said. "But enough talk! Gyarados! I need your assistance!" All of a sudden, a huge amount of water smashed through the walls, shattering the windows and such as a large dragon-like beast appeared before him. "You have to realize, you can never defeat our Empire!"

"You talk too much," Dane said, suddenly throwing a knife at him.

The stunned look on Lucah's face only meant the blow was fatal. "Gyarados… kill all of them!" Those were his last words before collapsing to the ground, and his death only enraged Gyarados more.

"Great… now you pissed him off…" Kami said, as they all dodged a Dragon Pulse attack.

"Kami, we could use your help right about now!" Dane said.

"Right," Kami said. "Plusle! Minun! You too!"

"Right!" both of them said. Kami then used Thunderbolt, which was affective since Gyarados was a Water-type. Plusle and Minun then used their attacks, which then paralyzed the dragon-like creature.

"Perfect," Dane said. He then looked at Lucario. "Let's finish him off." Lucario nodded and they then attacked unison, Dane slashing with his sword and Lucario using Metal Claw. Gyarados then let out one last roar before collapsing and disappearing.

"Well that wasn't too hard," Minun said. "These Exar people are all talk!"

"He was only a lowly rank," Dane said, sheathing his sword. "Perhaps as we keep continuing on, they will get harder."

"What the hell happened here!" Arden had arrived, accompanied by the Royal Guard.

"He is dead," Dane said. "Hopefully now the king can make a full recovery."

"Thank goodness," Arden said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Now the problem has been taken care of, we can finally restore balance. Now then, I believe we had a deal…"

"You will provide us with supplies?" Lucario asked.

"Exar has declared war, and we will answer," Arden said. "We will provide anything you need, including our fleet. But… you really think this will work?"

"We can only hope…" Dane replied.

"Very well then," Arden replied. "Perhaps I can direct you to another place. You, soldier of Arcania… how long has it been since you've seen your squad?"

"…Since the kingdom was destroyed," Dane said. "Kami and I… were the only ones who made it out of there alive."

"Well… that's not entirely accurate…" Arden said.

* * *

"I'm assuming things are going well?" Jethro asked.

"We have managed to clear out a large portion of the forests," one of the soldiers said. "However, we're approaching Tataran Forest, which is heavily populated with wild creatures."

"I see…" Jethro said. He then sat in thought for a couple moments. "Very well then, tear it down."

Malak, who had been standing by, looked at his master in shock. "But that is their home! You'll end up killing thousands!"

"I will do as I must… since it is my orders…" Jethro said. "Like your opinion matters anyway…"

It soon became silent as Malak closed his eyes. "Why don't you leave Jethro? Or rather, take your leave? …Humans are no longer needed here."

"What?" Jethro said. But before he could say anymore, he was then impaled completely and soon fell to the ground dead. Dead by Malak's hand. The soldiers who witnessed all this just stood in fear.

Malak then looked at them. "Unless you want to end up like my master, you will follow my orders from now on."

The two looked at each other and quickly nodded. "The populated forests will be avoided at all costs," Malak then said. _"Greedy humans…they think they have the right to kill off our species…Well… perhaps it's time we have our revenge. And then, they will know our pain."  
_

* * *

(A/N: WELL IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! Sorry this took so long people… school was a BITCH! But… now that I'm on break I can hopefully focus more on this stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and Happy New Year! Welcome 2011!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	10. The Hidden Kingdom

(A/N: Hello folks! Glad I'm able to back on track with the stories and such. I'm sure you may have noticed but I took down the Raiden story because I'm gonna redo it but most of what I had in mind won't be changed. Just to let you all know!)

* * *

Chapter 10: The Hidden Kingdom

"Arden… what the hell do you mean by that?" Dane asked.

"You mean you didn't know?" Arden asked. "Well… I guess perhaps in a way that may be a good thing. There have been… rumors that after the collapse of the Arcadian kingdom that those who managed to escape went towards the mountains. And it would also seem that live there now in what to them would seem exile."

"That's impossible," Dane said. "There's no way that that many could've escaped. Kami and I can account for it."

"Well…" Kami then said. "How would we know? The attack was devastating but perhaps many did escape."

Dane was silent for a couple moments. "I'll believe it when I see it," he said. Kami just sighed and shook her head.

"If you go northwest from here towards the mountains," Arden said. "I'm sure you can find them there."

* * *

_Could it really be true? Could some of the men that served under me been able to escape from the destruction that occurred that day?_

Those words kept going through Dane's mind as they left Landblum. Their loyalty was guaranteed and it seemed the mountains in the north would be their last trip, which would be good, seeing as they had perhaps less than two days left before the final battle.

"Still have it on your mind?" Dane looked to Kami, who was sitting on his shoulder.

"I guess you could say that," Dane replied. He then shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense. When the attack came, I thought almost everyone had been slaughtered. Sure, we escaped, but only just barely."

"You don't have faith in your own troops?" Kami asked.

"It's not a question of faith," Dane replied. "…I just never heard from them after all what happened." All of a sudden, his aura went off.

"You sensed it too?" Lucario said.

"Yeah, it's coming this way but… its aura seems rather weak to be anything dangerous…" Dane said. All of a sudden, they saw who it was. A Pidgeotto was falling high from the sky and then crashed into the ground.

"Oh no, the poor thing!" Plusle said and the others then went to its aid.

"He looks pretty banged up," Minun said.

Lucario then noticed something on the bird's wing. "This one's from Telmaria." There was a small brand mark bearing the symbol of the kingdom.

"Well, I can probably channel my aura into him to help heal his wounds," Dane said. "And when he wakes up we can find out just what happened."

Using the time to rest and get some food into their systems, they set up camp close to the woods, while Kami and Lucario kept an eye out. Once the healing was done, the Pidgeotto's breathing eased and soon he opened his eyes.

"Oh no…" he then said. "I'm dead aren't I?"

"No, you're still alive," Dane said. "In fact, your wounds weren't even fatal."

"I might as well be dead…" the Pidgeotto said, sighing. "Forgive me human, but unfortunately I have nothing else to live for."

"Why do you say that?" Lucario said, appearing suddenly and causing the poor thing to almost jump out of its feathers and flutter into the air.

"Bloody hell!" he said. "You didn't have to do that you… wait a minute… oh no, please don't tell me you're all from Exar! Oh Arceus why!" Apparently the fall did a bit too much to his head perhaps.

"We're not from Exar," Dane said calmly. "In fact, quite the opposite."

"You're from Telmaria, I saw the mark," Lucario pointed out.

"Ah, then you must be as well," the Pidgeotto replied, nodding. "It's good to see that one of the Lucario made it out. Oh, where are my manners? I must introduce myself. I am Captain Kaze of the Telmarian 34th Air Cavalry. Or… I guess I should say former captain. But you can call me Kaze."

"Hm… an appropriate name I suppose…" Lucario commented.

"Wait a minute, if you're part of the cavalry, then where are the rest of your troops?" Dane asked.

"Oh… well…" He then sighed. "The truth is, I did the one thing a captain should never do to his own men."

"You abandoned them?" Lucario asked.

"When Telmaria was attacked, everyone was caught off guard," Kaze said. "But even as we mobilized, the battle was already lost… We retreated but those wretched bastards kept coming after us, picking us off one by one… Of course, none of us go down easily but… more out of fear I just fled, abandoning all of them… And even though I was caught up into a battle, I wished for death to relieve of the guilt that was inside me."

"It seems you and I are more alike than I thought," Dane said.

"Huh?" Kaze said, looking up at him. "Wait… you are Arcanian… I can tell by that attire…"

"I was a former captain of my troops as well," Dane said. "I am Dane. My friends here are Lucario, Plusle, Minun, and Kami. We're trying to raise an army to take back Telmaria from the Empire."

"That explains a lot then," Kaze said. "Very well, I need to redeem myself for what I did to my comrades, and beating these bastards will do them justice."

"But anyway, how _did _you end up like this?" Lucario asked.

"Oh, well it happened like this…" Kaze said. "I was merely just flying around the area and everything was calm. All of a sudden, something came straight from the ground and then attacked me. I don't know why it attacked but it was strong and I wasn't able to escape it unharmed. After that, I tried to keep going on but then I collapsed to the ground. And that is how I am here now."

"That sounds like a problem," Kami said, who came back from her watch. "The coast seems clear Dane."

"Alright then," Dane said. "Can you fly now Kaze?"

"Oh yes, I think I am okay now," Kaze replied. "And if you are going the way I came, then perhaps I should warn you that enemy may still be around there."

"It's a chance we'll have to take," Kami said, the others nodding in agreement.

Soon they continued on their way towards the mountains. Despite being a ranked officer, at ease Kaze was a rather calm and interesting fellow.

"Um…" Kaze said, looking at Dane. "You'll have to forgive my awkwardness, because obviously you can probably guess I was involved with what happened…"

"Don't worry about it," Dane said, who by now didn't mind who was ally or former enemy. "You were following orders… right?"

"Hehe…" Kaze said, getting a look from Kami. "Of course, that's how it always is…"

After perhaps another hour or two, they then reached the foot of the mountainside. "You think this is it?" Kami then asked.

"This is the area where I can sense little if any presence," Dane replied. "But somehow, I got a bad feeling about this…"

All of a sudden, Lucario's aura went off like an alarm. He then closed his eyes as he sensed something coming and then ran towards the area where the presence was heading towards.

"What is it Lucario?" Plusle then asked.

(A/N: Alright, for this next part here the song I'm using is "Force Your Way" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

Lucario stood there for a moment before jumping back almost a second before came bolting out of the ground. Whatever it was, it was big. And also, it looked rather robotic in a way, especially since there seemed to be lights protruding from it and the way it was acting.

"Intruders detected," the thing said. "Enemies will be terminated."

"That's a Regirock," Dane said.

"That's the thing that attacked me earlier!" Kaze said.

"It makes sense now," Kami said. "No doubt it was sent by Exar."

*"Enemies of Exar shall now be terminated!" the Regirock repeated, ready to attack.

"Well then," Dane said, drawing his sword. "We better take care of him before moving on." He then charged forward and slashed against it, but as Regirock was a rock-type, it didn't do too much. "As I thought… Physical attacks won't do."

Lucario then charged up an Aura Sphere attack and hit Regirock with it, causing a good amount of damage. "Kaze, you might want to sit this one out," he then said. Flying-types could almost do nothing against rock-types.

Kami then jumped into the air and came down using Iron Tail, which caused more damage. Suddenly, the Regirock said, "Lock-On activated." There was then a cross-hair that attached straight onto Dane. Then, it held it's "arms" out forward as it charged up what seemed to be Zap Cannon.

Dane, knowing what was about to happen could only say "Son of a-" before the attack hit straight on. It did damage of course, but luckily Dane was able to withstand it.

Plusle and Minun then used their electric attacks together to lower Regirock's health. And soon after recovering, Dane then released a vicious aura attack, which greatly weakened the robot-like being.

It seemed then at first that Regirock was going to counterattack. However, it paused for a moment and then at the last second used Dig to go underground and retreat from the battle. "That was unexpected…" Lucario said. "Why would it just retreat in the middle of a battle?"

"Seems like a coward if you ask me," Minun said.

"All it did was analyze our moves and reactions," Dane said. "In other words, it retreated to warn the others where we are. If we don't hurry, we could possibly have an army here in a couple hours."

"So… the Empire _is _aware of our motives then," Kami said.

"Alright then," Dane said. "Time isn't on our side right now. We gotta go in, find any survivors and get out of here before any enemy troops arrive." And with that, they entered the large cave before them, leading up through the large mountain. All they could hope for is that the rumors were true.

* * *

(A/N: Wow, I got this done sooner than I thought which is good of course. Anyway, unfortunately I'm taking a semester off so hopefully that will help with my writing schedule a bit. So anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and yes, I'm still a Pisces!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	11. The Past Returns

Chapter 11: The Past Returns

Cold and isolated. That's what it felt like upon entering the cave before them. Perhaps for the ones who managed to escape Arcania intact, going to the last place where anyone would look would be the only option. _"It's not like they had a choice either," _Dane thought. _"For a couple months after the battle, as I can remember, all the Telmarians did was hunt down any stragglers. They wanted to completely wipe us off the face of the earth…"_

"So um…" Kaze then said. "If we do end up meeting any of… your people, they're not gonna attack us right?"

"It might be best not to include the part where you're from Telmaria," Dane replied. "Same goes for you Lucario. Perhaps if I explain, then they'll be less likely to kill you."

"If they recognize you, that is," Kami said.

"Oh come now Kami," Dane said, a smirk on his face. "What other person wears such attire and just happens to have a Raichu as his companion?"

* * *

It started to get darker once they were further in the cave, so Kami used Flash to help light the way through the dim passage way. On the inside, the mountain was much larger than it looked. Even if Arcania's numbers were small, they were smart to choose this location as it could give them an advantage.

Soon they started going upwards and it wasn't long before they encountered what seemed to be a bridge. Unfortunately, as they were about to cross it, the area around them started to shake and a boulder suddenly appeared and crashed through the bridge-like structure, leaving a huge gap.

"I should've expected that…" Lucario said.

"Well, guess we gotta cross our own way," Dane said. "Take Plusle and Minun." Then, as Kami wrapped herself around his neck, Dane quickly jumped and using his speed managed to get to the other side. Lucario then grabbed a hold of both Plusle and Minun and did the same thing, managing to get to the other side. Luckily for Kaze all he had to do was fly over.

"Maybe I'm seeing things," Kaze then said. "But are those lights in the distance?" Indeed, there was a faint glow up ahead.

"Well Dane, perhaps we'll find out after all," Kami said. Dane just remained silent. As they continued on, they saw that the lights were coming from torches that were lit, as if they were lighting the way ahead. Soon, however, the pathway they were on started to widen little by little and soon the amount of torches became greater.

"This isn't possible…" Dane then said. Right in front of them was a large valley, and in that valley they could see what looked like a camp ground.

"There could possibly be close to a hundred or two hundred people down there," Lucario said.

Although it seemed like they were alone, Dane could sense something and quickly drew his sword and swung at the sudden assailant who had been hiding. However, the person was obviously highly skilled as he was able to block the attack with ease. Before anyone else could react, there were others who appeared behind the other guy and were surrounded.

However, the man engaged with Dane suddenly stopped as if he recognized him. "C-Captain?" he then said.

"Marcus," Dane then said, who stopped as well. "I don't believe it… You're still alive?"

"I thought maybe perhaps the same thing happened to you," Marcus said, as the others around him laid down their weapons. "After the attack that is. Oh Kami, I see you're still with the Captain as always."

"You know it," Kami replied. "But what happened? I mean, after the whole incident?"

"Well, we definitely were lucky to get out of there in one piece," Marcus said. "Luckily, we got a tip from an outside source of the oncoming attack and managed to get a majority of the civilians out of harms way. As for us soldiers, our jobs were to hold the enemy back as long as we could until the civilians were out of harm's way."

"Still, we lost too many," Dane said, sighing. Lucario and Kaze both kept quiet.

"Well, now that we know you're all friends, then we may as well show all of you around," Marcus said, sheathing his sword.

"Actually Marcus, there are some things we need to discuss," Dane said.

"I see. Well we'll discuss it on the way," Marcus said as they, plus the other soldiers, started going back to the camp.

"I'm sure you've caught word of what's going on on the outside," Dane said.

"Yeah, it seems war is inevitable," Marcus replied. "And Telmaria fell after so many months. Now they know what we went through…"

Normally Lucario would make some sort of comment in response, but seeing as the people were victims of his kingdom's own doing, he felt some pity for them.

"That's why we're here Marcus," Dane said. "As crazy as it sounds, we have to show Exar their place."

Marcus just shook his head. "Captain, you can't expect us to take on Exar at our strength. We just don't have the numbers we used to. And besides, why would I want to help the same kingdom that destroyed mine?"

"We have found others who will help our cause," Dane said. "And if you must know, I have already met two from Telmaria." He then motioned to Lucario and Kaze. "These two managed to make it out of the attack but are willing to do anything to reclaim their home."

Dane was surprised to see that Marcus did not react the way he had thought. Instead, he just looked away and said, "Very well. When should we move out?"

"Tomorrow," Kami said. "We meet at Tataran Forest."

"I can't say I'm in full support of this," Marcus said. "But you still are my Captain, and seeing you now, I'd march to the gates of hell with you."

"Good to hear," Dane said, shaking his hand and then giving him a hug.

"Oh and Lucario." Lucario turned to see Marcus addressing him. "I've heard many things about the Lucario clan, and even fought a couple myself. Don't disappoint." Lucario just smiled as they departed from the campsite.

* * *

"Well they seemed nice," Kaze said. "Despite the fact I thought I was gonna get plucked."

"You really think Marcus will come?" Kami asked Dane as they were making their way back to the entrance.

"I could tell he was reluctant," Dane said. "But he meant what he said, and you know him as well as I do…" He then suddenly stopped, along with Lucario.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this next part, the song I'm using is "Shadow's Mosquerade" from Bleach.)

* * *

"What is it?" Minun asked.

*"He's here…" Dane then said.

Lucario quickly looked in the direction the sense was coming from and just as he predicted, there he was.

"I was curious about the report that was sent to me," the figure said on top of one of the cliffs, revealing to be Malak himself. "But I'm quite interested now due to those I see before me. This was worth the trip after all."

"Malak," Lucario said. "Are you the only one here? I thought the rest of Exar would be right behind you."

"Well, when I heard the message, I had to check it out by myself," Malak said, a smirk on his face. "Besides, mobilizing the army would take too much time and effort."

"Heh, I'm surprised Malak," Dane said. "You could've stopped us right here, and the whole rebellion could've been stopped in its tracks. And now that I think about it, where's your master?"

"My master is no longer with us," Malak said. "I killed him myself."

"How bold of you…" Kami said.

"Why?" Lucario asked.

"He was willing to destroy the forests just to expand Exar's empire," Malak said, shaking his head. "It was then when I knew the truth about humans. Compared to them, we are nothing. We're just servants to do _their _bidding, soldiers to do _their _fighting. But no more, I will be the one to show all where mankind's fate will head. And if it involves two sides killing each other, so be it."

"You've lost it completely Malak," Dane then said. "But it doesn't matter." He then drew his sword. "You've overstayed your welcome." Kami tensed up, ready for a fight.

Malak just laughed. "Try your best then." Lucario, Dane, and Kami quickly rushed to the top and engaged Malak. While three on one seemed to give them the advantage, Malak was skilled as well.

Lucario tried to strike at Malak, but he managed to duck while dodging Dane's sword and Kami's Iron Tail. He then used Force Palm, knocking both Lucario and Dane back. Kami attacked again using Iron Tail but Malak knocked her back using Metal Claw. "Do you really think you can beat me so easily?" Malak said. "I trained hard and earned my pride as one of the leaders of the Lucario clan. I can't be defeated."  


* * *

(A/N: Now for this part of the fight, the song I'm using is "Guardians" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

*"Lucario!" Suddenly standing beside them were Plusle, Minun, and Kaze.

"We'll help you take care of this loony!" Minun said determinedly.

"You're all more foolish than I thought," Malak said. He then got into a stance. "No matter, I'll just have to finish you all off, to save me the trouble later."

Lucario then used Aura Sphere and shot it at Malak, causing moderate damage. Then Dane went out and struck with his sword, causing more damage. Kami, along with Plusle and Minun, combined their Thunderbolt attacks as one, doing a good bit of damage and then Kaze used Aerial Ace.

However, Malak counterattacked, using Aura Sphere as well, but he was able to use it more rapidly, being able to everyone at once, doing a good amount of damage. Lucario then attacked using Metal Claw, Dane used an Aura Sphere attack, Kami used Iron Tail, Plusle and Minun both used Thunder, and Kaze used Air Slash, each amounting a considerable amount of damage.

Malak soon found himself panting slightly, surprised by their strength. "I see you're all stronger than I thought," he said. "You may have delayed the inevitable for now, but whatever rebellion you seek to build, it won't survive against the forces of Exar." And with that, he was gone.

"I was expecting Malak to do more," Kami said. "And he let us go."

"He was merely testing us," Dane said. "He had a feeling we'd be strong if we made it all the way out here."

"So what do we do now?" Lucario asked.

"First of all, we get ourselves out of this cave," Dane said. "Then we'll figure out where to go from there."

So the group continued through towards the soon to be seen entrance. And thus, the final act of their journey would soon begin…

* * *

(A/N: So after so many distractions, this chapter is finally complete. It's good to know that there are probably two or three more chapters left in this story. I'll be glad to finally have this story done. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, there is nothing worse than forgetting to get your love something for Valentine's Day.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	12. On the Eve of the Battle

(A/N: Oh yeah, I should let people know that in this chapter, a lot of it's going to be branched out to what's going on in the plot so hopefully people don't get confused by it.)

* * *

Chapter 12: On the Eve of the Battle

After finally making their way out, it was a relief for Lucario and the others to see that the area was clear. Malak had indeed come by himself. "So, I'm guessing we're to head back now?" Lucario asked.

"Yes," Dane replied. "However, there might be a bit of a problem."

"What's that?" Kaze asked.

"Well, there are two ways we can get back to Tataran Forest," Dane said. "The one path would be easier but it would take us longer since we would have to around the region to get back. The other path acts more like a shortcut but… there is a risk."

"Why is that?" Minun asked.  
"That path would require us to go through Mabarak Forest…" Dane said grimly.

"What forest is that?" Lucario asked.

"A forest that spans for almost three miles in volume," Dane said. "However, that's not the bad part. The forest had a history. Stories have been told that centuries ago a great battle occurred there between two kingdoms. One was like Telmaria or even Exar, and the other kingdom was said to be home to people who practiced sorcery and witchcraft. That battle there was perhaps the bloodiest that had ever occurred on this land. However, the sorcerer's took the biggest blow and while the survivors retreated, they cursed the land, making it that any who travel through relive the darkest moments of their life… So you see, those woods are haunted."

"Sounds really scary…" Plusle said, who shivered slightly.

"There's no need to be scared," Kami said reassuringly. "With whatever we encounter there, it is only just an illusion of course."

"Still, it is best when we reach there to keep our guard up," Dane said. He then sighed. "I can see the choice has already been made…"

It was starting to get dark, so they would not be able to reach the forest by nightfall. "I don't believe it," Minun said.

"What?" Plusle said.

"The whole "haunted" thing," Minun replied. "I'm not one to be superstitious, but it just sounds like a tale to keep people out of the forest."

"I… suppose so," Plusle said.

"You okay?" Minun said, looking at her. "You haven't said too much since we left."

"I'm fine," she replied, all of a sudden finding herself breathing a bit heavy.

Minun then put a paw to her forehead. "Plusle you're burning up!"

"I… I'm fine…" All of a sudden, she fell to the ground, passed.

"D-Dane!" Minun said, almost horrified. "Help!"

"What happened to her!" Dane said, running up to them. He then picked her up and felt her forehead. "She has a really bad fever. We have to look for some Oran berries, if they're around here."

"I'll look around," Lucario said.

"I'll help," Kami added, and the two headed off.

They made camp and made a small bed for Plusle, who's condition seemed to be worsening as her breathing became more shallow. Fortunately, Lucario and Kami were able to find Oran berries and Dane mashed them to a paste so that she could eat them. Over a matter of time, her breathing improved, but it was obvious she needed to take some time to recover before continuing on.  


* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song here is "Love Grows" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

While she was resting, Minun hadn't left her side at all. In fact, he was the one feeling the guilt. *"…This is my fault Plusle," he said. "When all of this started… I should've just told you to stay in the forest, so that something like this would have never happened." He then sighed. "I haven't been honest about myself to you… I know I have this tough attitude but… I'd be dead right now if it weren't for the others. You and I… we're just not the fighting types you know? I just wish things could've been different…"

"You know, talking to yourself about it won't change anything." Minun turned around to see Dane behind him, looking straight at him.

"I know that…" Minun said. "But maybe now you know the truth…"

"You love her, don't you?" Dane asked.

"…Yes," Minun said. "I wasn't trying to push her away… but I thought being the tough hero type would help…"

Dane sighed and sat next to him. "Look… just because you may not be strong physically doesn't mean you can't achieve anything. Me for example, I had just become a captain around the time Arcania and Telmaria went to war. I was young and inexperienced, but despite that, I managed to keep Arcania striving until the very end. So you see, even the unlikeliest of people can make a difference in the world. We're going to need you and Plusle. Remember that."

"I will," Minun said, a smile on his face. "Thanks Dane…"

Dane smiled as well, getting up. "You should get some rest; since we're gonna try to leave by dawn."

"Right," Minun said, nodding as Dane left them both alone.

Plusle then groaned a bit and opened her eyes slowly. "Minun?" she said softly. She then smiled. "I knew you'd be the first to check up on me…"

"O-Of course Plusle," Minun said, smiling.

Plusle then put a paw to his face. "Tell me Minun, how you really feel about me?"

Minun's eyes widened. "You mean you were-?" However, he was cut off as she suddenly pulled him towards her into a kiss. His eyes were still widened but he then closed them and kissed her back as she put her paws around him. It was a couple minutes before they finally broke the kiss. Minun smiled at her. "You should get more rest for tomorrow," he said. "You'll be fine by morning right?

"Yeah…" Plusle said. "Don't go. Stay with tonight, please?"

"Alright…" Minun replied, lying down next to her.

It was quiet for a couple moments before Plusle said, "Don't ever feel like you can't accomplish anything."

"Huh?" Minun said, looking at her.

"I know we're not the fighting kind," Plusle said, looking at the stars. "But we've helped the others achieve their goals. Our goal is to keep our home safe. So no matter what, we'll contribute as much as we can to the others. Okay?"

"Yeah…" Minun replied. He suddenly found himself yawning and closing his eyes while wrapping his paws around Plusle. It wasn't long before the two were fast asleep under the stars.

It didn't seem long before dawn approached, and all of them woke up, as if on cue. Obviously it would've been better to cross through the woods in the daytime anyway. Soon they departed, heading towards the woods that loomed ahead of them.  


* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song used here is "Iifa Tree" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

*Once they got to the edge of the forest, they already feel a shift in the atmosphere. "I'm getting bad vibes already," Kaze said. He wasn't exaggerating of course, everyone could feel it.

Lucario looked to Dane. "You sure this is still a good idea?"

"Even as we speak, the other kingdoms may be mobilizing to our location," Dane said. "We gotta be there when they get there, or else this whole plan is gonna fall flat."

They soon entered the forest, which seemed quiet thankfully. But too quiet unfortunately. From what Dane had said, hundreds died in this area alone. Why perhaps such land had to be fought over was anyone's guess. It was certainly a good place to be ambushed, but no such event came.

But they weren't out of the woods yet. Soon they came across an area where there seemed to be five different pathways, surrounded by large hedges. "Well I definitely didn't know about this," Dane said.

"So now what?" Kami asked.

"As much as I hate to say it, we had better split up," Dane said. "I could be wrong, but it seems one of these ways leads to the other side of the forest. If anyone gets stuck, send out a signal they can be seen from a distance." They then split up (with Plusle and Minun taking the one path together) and each took a different path.  


* * *

(A/N: For Dane's part, the song's coming up will be "Immoral Melody" from Final Fantasy IX.)

* * *

Dane wasn't one for superstitions, but he knew coming here was not a great idea. But then again, they didn't have much of a choice. As he continued walking through, it felt as though the bad vibes were increasing, which for him only made things worst. If the stories were true, then how could he deal with what happened in his past?

"_No, it's not real," _Dane thought. _"The only reason the stories were created were that so invading armies had to take the long route to other kingdoms." _He then got to another clearing, and it seemed things were looking up, or so he hoped.

*"Well now… it's good to see you again Dane…" Dane quickly froze and tensed up, while his eyes widened in both surprise and fear. He knew that voice… He slowly turned around and saw a man clad in armor, wielding the exact same sword he had.

"Aldus?" Dane said. "No, that's impossible, you're-"

"Dead?" Aldus said. "Perhaps so, but you and I both know the dead have their way with staying connected to this world, and even to people mentally."

"No, you're just an illusion," Dane said. "I'm seeing something that's not there."

"Oh really?" Aldus said. "Then what about this?" He quickly moved forward and pressed his fist against Dane's chest, sending him backwards into one of the trees. Whether it was real or not, Dane could feel the pain and the rush of being thrown back.

"Damn you…" Dane said, getting up slowly.

"You're probably wondering why me?" Aldus said. "Is it the guilt you have for not being able to save your kingdom? Or is it perhaps fear because I was the one ordered to annihilate your precious kingdom."

"It doesn't matter," Dane said. "I know you're not real, and because of that you can't take a hold of me."

"It's not that simple…" Aldus said. "If you want me gone for good, then you'll have to rid of me for good." He then unsheathed his blade.

Dane looked at him and sighed. Maybe he was hallucinating… or perhaps he really was still torn about what happened… It didn't matter now. All that did was getting out of this hellhole of a forest. "Alright Aldus," he then said, drawing his blade. "Let's settle this, once and for all."

"Excellent," Aldus said, before they charged at one another.

* * *

Much was on Lucario's mind as he walked through the forest. "_The fate of Telmaria will be decided tomorrow,"_ he thought. _"I just hope what we did will be enough to rid of Exar." _

The feeling in his heart was starting to worsen by the minute. The forest seemed rank of bad feelings and vibes. All of a sudden, his memory shifted to that day when Telmaria was attacked. With all that happened, he wished he had been more prepared, he could've stopped Malak if he had just been better trained. _"Wait a minute," _he thought. _"Where did all of this come from? It's as if…" _Now it made sense. Somehow, the forest was feeding the negative feelings inside of him. "I need to move quickly," he said. "Before this forest swallows me whole."

* * *

Kami didn't like being away from Dane's side. Sure, she had only seen him again after maybe two or three years, but still, there wasn't a time where she didn't miss him. _"No…I don't have feelings for him like that…" _she thought. _"Or…do I?" _They had been through a lot since they first met, and he had always protected her. Of course, a lot had happened, and now that she thought about it, she missed her former home, before coming to Tataran Forest.

All of a sudden, she came to an area that seemed different from the rest of the forest. The trees were different… and the grass and the soil as well. This all looked familiar somehow. Suddenly, a large ball of fire came out of the sky and crashed close to where Kami stood, taking a few trees with it. Creatures started running from everywhere around here as soldiers started coming through, killing all in their way. With the destruction and carnage before her, she realized now… this was her home being destroyed. She then fell onto her knees. "Please," she begged. "Make it stop!" And just like that, everything was still. She looked up and everything was back to what it was before. She sighed and realized there were tears in her eyes. Wiping them away, she continued on ahead. It seemed the stories were true. However, one thing was for sure, and this proved it: no matter how hard she tried to seal them away, the memories of losing her home would be stuck with her until she died…

* * *

(A/N: And that will end the chapter here. I know you're wondering why I didn't show all the character's going through the forest. Well, Plusle, Minun, and Kaze don't really have any dark moments in their life, so it would've been pointless to include them. But yes, now you understand more of both Dane's and Kami's backstory. All will be explained in due time. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and guess what, my birthday is on Friday! :D )

FoxMcCloud7921


	13. The Battle Drums

Chapter 13: The Battle Drums

As it turned out, each pathway did indeed lead to the other side of the forest. Everyone managed to emerge out of it, but nothing was said, at least at first. They all knew what had taken place and no one wanted to talk about it, nor did anyone want to ask about it.

It wasn't long, however, before they started to see the edge of Tataran Forest. "Almost home," Kami said, who was on Dane's shoulder again.

"If everyone has kept their word, then we should be seeing them soon," Dane said. Once they finally reached the forest, they were greeted warmly, although Kami had to explain who Dane since he was the only human there at the moment.

Suddenly, one of the other creatures in the forest came up to Kami. "My Lady," he said. "There are humans coming in from the west."

"Let them pass," Kami replied. "Looks like they kept their word after all."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I will use is called "Cavalry Theme" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

It wasn't long before soldiers of Landblum, Arcania, and Eblan filled into the forest. By the looks of the amount of them showing, their size combined could be close to two thousand. Unfortunately, they would still be outnumbered almost two to one. However, each faction assured more were coming. "And once the ships show up, numbers will not matter at all," a Landblum soldier said.

Once everyone and everything was assembled, a meeting was held, between Dane, Lucario, Kami, Plusle, Minun, Kaze, and the highest ranked officials of each faction. "Seeing as the castle will be highly defended from all sides," Dane said. "We'll have to attack from all sides. Luckily Landblum artillery will help soften their defenses. Meanwhile, Eblan forces will take place close to the castle walls and provide support for the other troops, which will consist mostly of Arcanian and any other Telmarian troops."

"But what about their air defenses?" the Eblan official said. "If we don't have air support, we could end being picked apart."

Everyone looked at Kaze, expecting an answer from him. "Um…" he then said. "To be honest, it's been awhile since I was with my cavalry unit…" Dane almost couldn't resist a facepalm at what was said.

*All of a sudden, there was commotion stirring outside of the tent as someone cried out, "Something's coming from the south in the sky and they're headed this way." Fearing a possible attack, the group quickly came outside and looked up to see many black spots approaching their campsite. However, once they reached close to the trees, they slowed down and descended gently on to the ground before them all. The group consisted of Pidgeot and Staraptor; with most of them circling in the sky, their numbers looked around to be at least two or three hundred.

"I don't believe it…" Kaze said.

One of the units stepped forward and bowed down. "The Telmarian 34th Air Cavalry Unit at your service, Captain."

Kaze was too awestruck for words but quickly regained his composure. "Right," he said. "We have new orders men. Liberate Telmaria."

"Sir!" the ground troops said, waving their wings in salute.

"There," Kaze then said, turning around. "Now you'll have your air support."

After some time, all the troops assembled into what seemed to be a strategy meeting. Dane, as before, was assigned to explain the mission. "For those of you who can hear me," he said. "I, along with my companions, cannot express enough of our gratitude for all of your support. Without any of you, this plan would have never left the table. Now, he's what's going to happen. We have broken this down into five stages. The first stage of the mission will consist of Eblan soldiers marking a perimeter close to the castle walls, before the attack commences. Once that is done, stage two will commence, and the Landblum ships will start firing at the castle walls, softening their defenses. After the artillery strikes, once there is a hole in their defenses, stage three will be any of the remaining soldiers and Arcadian forces to charge from all sides while Eblan gives us cover, and stage four the cavalry unit will provide air support. These two stages will occur at the same time. And finally, stage five, after we've entered the city walls, our major goal is to force the enemy and pound them into submission until they surrender or all of their forces are dead. Kami will be the one to signal the beginning of each stage, using Thunder so that everyone can see it. The mission sounds easy but this will most likely be a long, drawn-out fight."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part here, the song I will use is "The Oath" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

*Dane paused for a second. "…I can't be certain the outcome of this battle will be… but I do know one thing. This isn't just about liberating a kingdom. It is about stopping an empire that will do nothing but press forward, causing destruction and chaos in its wake to have ultimate control over all of us. With all of us together, there is not a doubt in my mind that we can do the impossible and stop Exar once and for all."

Dane wasn't one to do such speeches, but he felt from the cheers he got, he did himself well. It was a good thing to, for morale was the key to victory. _"I have to admit… we will lose many, despite the outcome. Then again, they would all know that, being soldiers. Huh…I wonder if this will be my last battle as well…" _He looked over at Kami, who met his gaze. He then smiled assuredly. _"No, can't think about that now…It would affect Kami and the others." _

It was starting to get dark and soon after, many were around campfire; singing, drinking, and eating to their heart's content. Tomorrow would be a day that no one would ever forget.

Lucario, however, was deep in thought. There was no doubt in his mind that he would, at some point tomorrow, encounter Malak again. If he did, whether he was alone or not, had to be prepared for Malak was a skilled fighter and assassin.

"Something on your mind?" Lucario looked behind and saw it was Kami who was addressing him.

"Hmm… perhaps," Lucario replied.

"You know, I have to say," Kami said. "At the time my home was destroyed, I never thought I would see this happen. Fighting alongside Telmarians. And what's even funnier? I had thought at the time Malak was with Telmaria… but he was always with Exar. So that made Exar my enemy as well…" She smiled slightly and shook her head. "I was such a fool at the time…"

Lucario looked at her and smiled slightly. He decided it was best not to dwell on the whole Telmaria issue. "I have to thank you, Kami," he said. "If… perhaps I was not found in the forest as I was, none of this would have ever happened."

"Oh… well I feel flattered now," Kami said. She sighed then. "It's just weird to see what could happen to all of us tomorrow. Dane and I, we… never really got much of a chance to be together again."

Lucario looked at her. "I'm sensing something a bit deeper between you two."

Kami's eyes widened and she quickly blushed. "No there isn't!" She quickly looked right and left and then scurried away, causing Lucario to chuckle.

Lucario then looked up to the sky, appreciative that the night sky was clear tonight. As he looked to the stars, thoughts of his old master came back to him. _"James," _he thought. _"How long has it been since that day? It seems like months instead of just days…"_

He closed his eyes slowly and felt the sudden breeze come through. _"Tomorrow will bring the end to all this. I will make you proud James…"  
_

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the name of the song is "The Battle Drums" from Princess Mononoke.)

* * *

*The next day, at dawn, all that could be heard were the sound of drums in the distance and hundreds of feet moving at the same time, at the same pace. The coalition of Telmarian soldiers, Arcania, Landblum, Eblan, and the creatures of the Tataran Forest moved east of the forest towards Telmaria. As they were moving, Landblum ships were positioning themselves along the ocean side, far away enough to keep from being spotted.

Meanwhile, Lucario, Dane, Kami, Plusle, and Minun were amongst the ranks. Kaze was with his cavalry, patrolling the skies up above. Dane had explained that all of them, minus Kaze of course, were going to wait before the bombardments ended and the first line of troops went towards the castle walls. In other words, they were the reinforcements, seeing they could handle more than the usual soldier.

"Once Kaze and his group start giving air support," Dane said. "That's when we, and the reinforcements, come in and take them by surprise."

The castle was not too far from their location now and once it could be seen in the distance that was where they bunkered down for the moment.

* * *

(A/N: Alright, for this last part in the chapter, the song I'm using is "The Battle" from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.)

* * *

*"Alright, so now we wait," Lucario said. "Once the ships are in place, we wait for the signal, no?"

"A small one, but one that will be noticeable at a short distance," Dane replied. Soon enough, a small flare shot up into the air, but only at a limited distance but the soldiers saw it and knew their support was there. "Alright," Dane said. "Now we move forward."

The troops moved quickly, getting closer to the city walls but not too close. As planned, many of the troops moved along the perimeter of the castle walls. There was no response, so they have not even been noticed yet.

"Man are they gonna be in for a surprise…" Minun said, grinning.

Now was all about waiting, but it wasn't long. Soon they could hear the booming sounds of cannons being fired as artillery suddenly filled the air. The second it all touched ground was chaotic. In seconds, an entire wall was reduced to rubble. The Exar soldiers were completely caught off guard as they could be seen scrambling to cover. Unfortunately, there had been the concern about civilians, but it was a complicated issue and hopefully most of the artillery avoids the commoner's quarters.

Soon after the bombardment, which lasted about ten minutes, another flare was shot into the air and that was the signal. Soon, the first wave of troops stormed into the castle, whose defense had been crippled. The first phase had begun. Exar had definitely been surprised and lost a good amount of troops in the bombardment. However, their numbers were still greater.

After about a half hour, the troops were pushing forward, slowly but steady. But the enemy was deploying more troops.

Kaze, meanwhile, saw that now was the time to strike. "Alpha group, with me," he said. "Beta group, sweep around the left of the city and provide support. Gamma, you do the same on the right. We're going in!" The cavalry broke into three groups and went their assigned directions, providing support from above using such attacks like Air Cutter and Whirlwind.

Meanwhile, Dane and the others saw the cavalry moving out. "Well, I guess this is it," he said. "It's funny; I never thought I would see myself aiding my former enemies."

"Are you really going to bring this up now?" Lucario said.

"No," Dane said. "Just nevermind…" He then drew his sword. "I'm just trying to say if this is to be our last battle… I am glad to have met all of you and hope to see all of you on the other side."

It was a bittersweet moment as each of them smiled but they knew what had to be done. "Malak will most likely be in the castle," Plusle said. "Whether we all make it or not, we will defeat him."

"Sounds good to me," Minun said, smiling and glancing at Plusle.

"Alright then," Kami said. "Shall we go Dane?"

"Yes," Dane replied. "Let this be our final together, whether we live or not!" They then charged into what would be the final battle of each of their lives.

* * *

(A/N: …Okay I'm sorry this happened to take so long people! I just moved from PA to California about two weeks ago and I had to get settled in. XD But finally I got everything settled in and got back to working on my stuff. So… sorry again everyone and hope you enjoyed this chapter.)

FoxMcCloud7921


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